Temporal lobe epilepsy and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).
We describe a 20-year-old woman suffering from right temporal epilepsy, behavioral disorder, and a complaint of paroxysmal palpitations accompanied by anxiety. Detailed cardiac evaluation revealed that the palpitations were due to episodes of marked sinus tachycardia secondary to a concomitant postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and not of psychogenic origin as initially thought. Treatment with a beta-blocker resulted in the disappearance of palpitations and the associated anxiety. This is the first report of the coexistence of partial epilepsy and POTS. The recognition of such a syndrome in epileptic patients is important in order to offer appropriate therapy.
Seeck
M
M
Presurgical Epilepsy Evaluation Laboratory, Program of "Functional Neurology and Neurosurgery" of the Universities Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
Blanke
O
O
Zaim
S
S