title: Gelastic seizures and low-grade hypothalamic astrocytoma: a case report.
abstract: The typical, well recognized childhood epilepsy syndrome caused by hypothalamic hamartoma is characterized by early-onset, stereotyped attacks of uncontrollable laughter, frequent refractory seizures with progressive cognitive deterioration and severe behavioral problems. Here, we report a 17-year-old patient with gelastic phenomenon started in the neonatal period, later on associated with drug resistant polymorphic seizures, intellectual deficit and behavioral disorders, who improved by partial resection of an expected hypothalamic hamartoma that, in turn, resulted to be a hypothalamic low-grade astrocytoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Second University of Naples, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy. giangennaro.coppola@unina2.it
authors.forename: Giangennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spagnoli
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sciscio
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Roberto Matteo
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Villani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007029:Hypothalamic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome