[A case of parietal lobe epilepsy with ictal laughter].
We report here about an 8-year-old boy with parietal lobe epilepsy (PLE) and ictal laughter. At the age of 6, he began to experience drop seizures, followed by sensory fits. Interictal EEG showed frequent spikes at C3, C4, P3 and Cz. Despite treatment with antiepileptic drugs, he often fell down in seizures after feeling abnormal sensations in the right shoulder. On ictal video EEG at the age of 7 years, (1) he became motionless and complained of fear and pain in the right hand, (2) he had clonic seizures of the right upper limb and fell down to his left, (3) he laughed though he did not feel funny. Ictal EEG showed spikes which originated in Pz and then were generalized. In many of the previously reported cases, ictal laughter is associated with hypothalamic hamartomas, infantile spasms,. complex partial seizures of frontal, temporal, or parietal origin. We diagnosed the present case as having PLE. However, other localization could not be roled out because the spikes were generalized quickly. To date, there are two reported cases of ictal laughter with PLE, but ictal EEG is lacking in these patients. Ictal laughter is rare in non-lesional cryptogenic PLE, but it may imply PLE's pathogenesis.
Tsurusawa
Reimi
R
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka. reimi.horio@nifty.com
Ohfu
Masaharu
M
Masuzaki
Mayumi
M
Inoue
Takahito
T
Yasumoto
Sawa
S
Mitsudome
Akihisa
A
D002648:Child; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007845:Laughter; D008297:Male; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000473:pathology