title: Syncope--brain or heart? A case report.
abstract: A 44-year-old man suffered from recurrent episodes of unconsciousness, without any other concomitant manifestations. After routine workup, EEG and CT had proven nondiagnostic, prolonged Holter monitoring revealed a single episode of asystole, lasting 7.6 seconds. A pacemaker was inserted but did not abolish his episodic syncope. Subsequently, long-term EEG recording revealed epileptiform activity with independent foci in both temporal lobes. Antiepileptic treatment relieved the patient of his symptoms. This case illustrates the intimate relationship between the heart and the brain that sometimes lies behind syncope.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Malmó General Hospital, University of Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freitag
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hindfelt
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rosén
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D012804:Sick Sinus Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013575:Syncope / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants