Seizure cluster

What it means

A fourfold or greater increase of usual seizure frequency within a 3-day period, where the patient demonstrates full recovery between seizure events within the cluster. The seizure cluster should be recognizable by the primary clinician, carer or patient.

This term should be used with an HPO term for the appropriate type of seizure to denote clustered occurrence of seizures. There is no consensus within the medical community regarding the definition of a seizure cluster, where limitations of current clinical definitions include poor sensitivity and specificity. The proposed definition is meant to serve as a placeholder until a more robust definition, likely facilitated by technological advances in seizure tracking devices and personalized cluster identification is agreed upon.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Acute repetitive seizures · Crescendo seizures · Cyclical seizures · Recurrent seizures · Seizure flurries · Serial seizures