Ictal vomiting in a left hemisphere language-dominant patient with left-sided temporal lobe epilepsy

Epilepsy Behav. 2006 Feb;8(1):323-7. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2005.10.014. Epub 2005 Dec 6.

Abstract

Ictal vomiting in patients with focal epilepsy has mostly been associated with an epileptogenic zone in the non-language-dominant hemisphere. Here we present the case of a left hemisphere language-dominant patient suffering from typical mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with histologically proven hippocampal sclerosis and ictal vomiting during complex partial seizures. He became seizure-free after selective left-sided amygdalohippocampectomy. This case implies that ictal vomiting may not necessitate invasive electrophysiological exploration of left hemisphere language-dominant patients with temporal lobe epilepsy if surface EEG and MRI indicate a left-sided epileptogenic zone. It thus corroborates that with concordant imaging and neurophysiological data, clinical signs become less valuable.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Amygdala / surgery
  • Dominance, Cerebral*
  • Electroencephalography
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / physiopathology*
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / surgery
  • Hippocampus / surgery
  • Humans
  • Language
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Preoperative Care
  • Vomiting*