title: Hot water epilepsy: Phenotype and single photon emission computed tomography observations.
abstract: We studied the anatomical correlates of reflex hot water epilepsy (HWE) using multimodality investigations viz. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Five men (mean age: 27.0 ΁ 5.8 years) with HWE were subjected to MRI of brain, video-EEG studies, and SPECT scan. These were correlated with phenotypic presentations. Seizures could be precipitated in three patients with pouring of hot water over the head and semiology of seizures was suggestive of temporal lobe epilepsy. Ictal SPECT showed hyperperfusion in: left medial temporal - one, left lateral temporal - one, and right parietal - one. Interictal SPECT was normal in all five patients and did not help in localization. MRI and interictal EEG was normal in all the patients. The clinical and SPECT studies suggested temporal lobe as the seizure onset zone in some of the patients with HWE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Mehul
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Parthasarathy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Satishchandra
authors.affiliation: Department of NIIR, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Hanumanthapura
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aravinda
authors.affiliation: Department of NIIR, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Rose D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Bharath
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Sanjib
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sinha
keywords: Hot water epilepsy; magnetic resonance imaging; single photon emission computed tomography; temporal lobe epilepsy