Misdiagnosis due to gastrointestinal symptoms in an adolescent with probable autonomic status epilepticus and Panayiotopoulos syndrome.
Panayiotopoulos syndrome is a common benign epilepsy affecting otherwise healthy children that present with autonomic seizures, in which nausea, retching, and vomiting are particularly common and prominent. Because of the unusual ictal symptoms and lengthy manifestations, misdiagnosis is a common major problem. We describe a young girl with intractable and lengthy vomiting attacks, several admissions to hospitals, and extensive gastroenterological workup for several years from early childhood. On all previous occasions the diagnosis varied from psychosomatic disease, to functional dyspepsia, to cyclic vomiting syndrome. The possibility of autonomic epileptic seizures and Panayiotopoulos syndrome, though likely, was not considered.
Ozkara
Ciğdem
C
Department of Neurology, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. cigdemoz@istanbul.edu.tr
Benbir
Gülçin
G
Celik
Aykut Ferhat
AF
D000293:Adolescent; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D009325:Nausea / Q000503:physiopathology; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014839:Vomiting / Q000503:physiopathology