Ictal laughter associated with paroxysmal hypothalamopituitary dysfunction.
OBJECTIVE
Seizures with ictal laughter (also termed gelastic seizures) have been associated with hypothalamic hamartomas and precocious puberty. It is not known, however, where in the brain such seizures originate. We describe a child with gelastic seizures and a hypothalamic lesion (probably a hamartoma) in whom two dysfunctional phenomena were observed.


RESULTS
First, there was a hyperperfusion in the hypothalamopituitary areas shown by ictal [99m]Tc hexamethyl-propyleneamine oxime (HM-PAO) single photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT). Second, there was an ictal pulse of gonadotropins, 17 beta-estradiol, and growth hormone well above the normal limits in one of the seizures.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that gelastic seizures associated with hypothalamic hamartomas are generated in the hypothalamus or in its neighboring regions and that these seizures may cause paroxysmal dysfunction of the hypothalamopituitary axis.
Arroyo
S
S
Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Clinic i Provincial de Barcelona, Spain.
Santamaría
J
J
Sanmartí
F
F
Lomena
F
F
Catafau
A
A
Casamitjana
R
R
Setoain
J
J
Tolosa
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006222:Hamartoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007027:Hypothalamic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007845:Laughter / Q000502:physiology*; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D012640:Seizures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime