[Ethical and legal points concerning minimally conscious state and permanent vegetative state].

The ethical and legal problems posed by severe outcome of coma are complex and their analysis requires a multi-disciplinary approach. Three aspects have been particularly studied in this paper. The first is a reminder of the medical definitions of the concepts of vegetative state and minimally conscious state. The second focuses on the analysis of the ethical and legal debate of these conditions at an international level. Finally, the third concerns the wealth prospects, proposed, in France, by the circular letter dated May 3, 2002.