Brain SPECT imaging of ictal smile seizure

Clin Nucl Med. 2013 May;38(5):e216-7. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0b013e3182387477.

Abstract

"Ictal smile" is defined as a facial expression during a seizure, which usually translates happiness, clearly distinct from a tonic deviation of the mouth or other abnormal tonic-clonic movements involving the face, not associated to any happiness emotion (Epilepsia. 1998;39:1357-1360). It is a rare condition (6%-10% of patients; Epilepsia. 1998;39:1357-1360) and seems to be related to seizures arising from temporal or frontal regions (Brain. 2003;126:2121-2138).Anecdotal reports of brain perfusion SPECT performed during ictal and interictal phases (Epilepsia. 1998;39:1357-1360) do not supply, unfortunately, imaging documentation. Thus, we report the first evidence of brain perfusion abnormalities induced by ictal smile seizure.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Facial Expression*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Seizures / diagnostic imaging*
  • Smiling
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*