Epileptic seizures triggered by the use of a powered toothbrush.
BACKGROUND
Reflex epilepsy is characterized by seizures that are triggered in response to a specific stimulus and tooth-brushing epilepsy is an extremely rare form of reflex epilepsy in which the seizures are mainly induced by the act of tooth brushing. In this report, we describe an epilepsy patient whose seizures were exclusively triggered by the use of a powered toothbrush.


RESULTS
A 31-year old female had been treated for partial epilepsy of left temporal or frontal lobe for 20 years and she did not have seizures for the last 3 years. However, she experienced periods of auras, partial complex seizures, and nocturnal generalized seizures after she started using a powered toothbrush. The interictal electroencephalography revealed slow wave paroxysm over the left temporal or frontal lobe.


CONCLUSIONS
This case report is, to our knowledge, the first report of reflex epilepsy in which the seizures were triggered by the use of a powered toothbrush. Possible mechanisms to explain the novel type of this rare disorder are discussed.
Haytac
M Cenk
MC
Cukurova University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Periodontology, Balcali 01330, Adana, Turkey. cenkhaytac@cu.edu.tr
Aslan
Kezban
K
Ozcelik
Onur
O
Bozdemir
Hacer
H
D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011208:Powders; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000009:adverse effects*
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D011208:Powders