title: [A successful surgical case of a hypothalamic hamartoma with gelastic seizure: a case report].
abstract: Gelastic seizure is a rare form of epilepsy defined as automatic bouts of laughter without mirth commonly associated with a hypothalamic hamartoma. Surgical treatment of hypothalamic hamartomas is associated with a high risk of complications because of the close vicinity of adjacent structures such as the optic tracts and mammillary bodies. This case was an 11-year-old girl who presented with gelastic seizure and complicated partial seizure. She developed gelastic seizure at a frequency of 10 bouts per day. She was found to have an elliptical mass close to the left hypothalamus. The signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was consistent with hypothalamic hamartoma. The patient underwent surgical resection by a subtemporal approach. Pathological findings confirmed the diagnosis of hypothalamic hamartoma. Postoperative MRI demonstrated that the hypothalamic hamartoma was successfully resected. Twenty four months after surgery, complicated partial seizure in this patient has improved to Engel's class 1a and gelastic seizure has improved to Engel's class IIIa.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Aomori Prefectural Central Hospital, Japan.
authors: Tomoaki
authors: T
authors: Fujita
authors: Shinjitsu
authors: S
authors: Nishimura
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Sakata
authors: Yuichi
authors: Y
authors: Furuno
authors: Masaki
authors: M
authors: Mino
authors: Emiko
authors: E
authors: Hori
authors: Mitsuomi
authors: M
authors: Kaimori
authors: Reizou
authors: R
authors: Shirane
authors: Michiharu
authors: M
authors: Nishijima
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006222:Hamartoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007029:Hypothalamic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D007845:Laughter; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology*