Gelastic epilepsy--a case report with SPECT studies

J Assoc Physicians India. 2001 May:49:581-3.

Abstract

A 24 years male presented with daily episodes of uncontrollable laughter followed by urinary incontinence since the age of nine years. Some of these attacks progressed to generalized tonic-clonic seizures. General and neurological examination did not reveal any abnormality. Ictal and interictal video EEGs were normal. MRI showed a hypothalamic hamartoma. Interictal SPECT scan showed normal perfusion in the hamartoma. SPECT scan obtained four minutes after beginning of seizure showed that the perfusion increased in right cingulate gyrus but not in the hamartoma, suggesting the involvement of the cingulate gyrus in the seizure origin or pathway.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Gyrus Cinguli / blood supply
  • Hamartoma / complications
  • Hamartoma / diagnostic imaging*
  • Humans
  • Hypothalamic Neoplasms / complications
  • Hypothalamic Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Laughter
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Seizures / etiology
  • Seizures / pathology
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon* / methods
  • Urinary Incontinence / etiology