Refractory and severe status epilepticus in a patient with ring chromosome 20 syndrome

Ring chromosome 20 [r(20)] syndrome is a rare chromosomal disorder that is characterized by the development of refractory epilepsy during childhood with gradual declines in cognitive performance and behavior. Although the prognoses of seizures and intellectual disability associated with this condition are poor, life-threatening complications have rarely been described. We herein presented a case of a 17-year-old female with [r(20)] syndrome who developed recurrent status epilepticus (SE) at 14 years of age that evolved into unremitting SE in spite of vigorous antiepileptic treatments. She was administered thiopental anesthesia for 1 year, and was subsequently left in severe neurological sequelae. It is important to note that patients with this syndrome not only have severe epileptic encephalopathy persisting into adulthood, but are also at risk of fatal SE.