[Partial simple vegetative crisis: importance of electroencephalographic findings].
BACKGROUND
50% of the patients with cerebral tumours present with epileptic crises, which may be partial or generalized. The commonest partial crises have motor symptoms. These make up 30% of the simple partial crises. Partial simple crises with purely vegetative-type symptoms are very uncommon (less than 5%). They are considered to be caused by discharges in the internal regions of the temporal lobes, mainly in the limbic system. This means that it is very difficult to identify them using techniques of surface EEG.


METHODS
We describe the case of a patient with a cerebral tumour. The initial clinical features were short episodes of generalized coldness and sweating which had been present for the previous two weeks, without any other symptoms. During a routine EEG, focal critical paroxystic activity was recorded in the right temporal region. This coincided with a clinical episode similar to those described.


CONCLUSIONS
The episodes were labelled partial simple vegetative crises. In this case the EEG was crucial for diagnosis and subsequently to recommend suitable treatment. However, difficulty in recording this type of crisis with a surface EEG makes correct diagnosis of these patients very difficult, since the epileptogenic focus is deeply situated.
Cortés
V
V
Servicio de Neurofisiología Clínica, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia, España.
Landete
L
L
Gómez
E
E
Blasco
R
R
D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014635:Valproic Acid
Crisis parcial simple vegetativa: importancia de los hallazgos electroencefalográficos.