Epileptic Disorders

Piloerection is a rare ictal manifestation usually associated with temporal lobe epilepsy. We present video and electrographic documentation of pilomotor seizures in a 75-year-old man with left temporal lobe epilepsy and remote herpes zoster encephalitis. In general, piloerection is most often localised to the temporal lobe. Unilateral piloerection is usually associated with an ipsilateral ictal onset. Bilateral piloerection has a less certain lateralising value, although earlier reports suggest left hemispheric predominance.

We report a patient who presented with adversive seizures associated with periodic lateralised epileptiform discharges (PLEDs), a month after head trauma. The PLEDs predominantly involving the left frontal contacts became more frequent at the onset of adversive seizures during EEG. Brain MRI demonstrated a contusion scar in the left orbital cortex with reduced diffusion, not only around this orbital lesion but also in the ipsilateral anteromedial thalamus. Single photon emission computed tomography revealed focal cerebral hyperperfusion in the left medial orbitofrontal region, basal ganglia, and thalamus. The abnormal metabolism involving the thalamus and striatum could be associated with the ipsilateral orbital contusion and might have been caused by cortical-subcortical, trans-synaptic hyperactivity. Further studies are warranted to determine the role of subcortical structures in the generation of PLEDs and adversive seizures. [Published with video sequences]

Seizures following infliximab treatment are very rare and, to date, there is no detailed description of EEG abnormalities with cerebral radiological findings reported in cases with infliximab-related seizures. We describe a patient who acutely developed seizures temporally related to infliximab treatment, which disappeared after drug withdrawal. MRI showed encephalopathy involving mainly cortical regions and EEGs showed focal paroxysmal activity which completely disappeared a few days after infliximab withdrawal. No other plausible cause of the seizures was identified. The clear temporal association between seizure onset and infliximab treatment as well as the clinical improvement and disappearance of focal epileptiform activity after drug withdrawal indicated an evident correlation between seizures and infliximab therapy. The coexistence of pathological findings on MRI suggested that seizures were secondary to the encephalopathy. Further studies are required to evaluate whether infliximab per se has an epileptogenic effect or whether the seizures are caused by encephalopathy involving cortico-subcortical regions.

The objective was to analyse and discuss data from three studies of newly-diagnosed epileptic seizures (provoked and unprovoked) conducted in Geneva, Martinique, and the Reunion Island, in which the same methodology was used. We extracted data from three studies in which the incidence of seizures was estimated and a etiologies identified. Data was extracted and analysed using STATA. Group comparison was performed firstly for each study as a single group, and secondly by considering Martinique and the Reunion Island as an overseas group, in comparison with Geneva, considered as a mainland group. Uncorrected χ2 was used and statistical significance (two-sided, p=0.05) was determined for each aetiology per cohort. The incidence of newly-diagnosed epileptic seizures per 100,000 was 71.0, 80.6, and 100.4 in Geneva, Martinique, and the Reunion Island, respectively. A bimodal distribution and predominance of generalised seizures was noted. The male to female ratio was higher in Martinique (∼2.0) than other populations (∼1.5). Status epilepticus was noted in Geneva and more so in the Reunion Island. The incidence of provoked seizures per 100,000 was 25.2, 16.4, and 17.7, and for unprovoked seizures was 45.6, 64.1, and 81.2 in Geneva, Martinique, and the Reunion Island, respectively. There was a greater risk of provoked seizures in Geneva relative to the overseas group, which was due to tumours, use of toxic substances, and drug abuse. The risk of unprovoked seizures in Geneva was due to trauma and infections. In Martinique, alcoholism and HIV were foremost factors for provoked and unprovoked seizures, and stroke was an important a etiology in both Martinique (provoked seizures) and the Reunion Island (unprovoked seizures). The risk of provoked seizures was greatest in Geneva and risk of unprovoked seizures was greatest in the Reunion Island. Toxic substances, alcohol, infection, and trauma constituted major factors for epileptic seizures in Geneva, while alcoholism, HIV, and stroke were major factors in the overseas group. Relative eradication of tropical infections has paved a way for the emergence of non-communicable a etiologies (stroke, alcoholism). Males from Martinique demonstrated the greatest risk of epileptic seizures, signifying the importance of alcoholism, HIV, etc. Three steps should follow: follow-up studies (mortality), strong mechanisms for prevention (or control) of risk factors, guidelines on whether to treat or not.

Some traumatic events can cause both post-traumatic stress disorder and epileptic seizures. We report the case of a woman who experienced a severe head injury which subsequently led to the development of paroxysmal episodes of isolated memory flashbacks related to the injury. Detailed analysis of her symptoms along with video-EEG telemetry recordings was helpful to distinguish between these two conditions.

In this study, we describe three patients who each had two different forms of idiopathic focal epilepsiy. Two of these patients had electroclinical features compatible with Panayiotopoulos syndrome and benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes (BCECTS), one of whom developed a particular electroclinical picture of atypical benign focal epilepsy and the other an atypical evolution characterized by verbal auditory agnosia and aphasia. The third patient had clinical and electroencephalographic features of BCECTS and of idiopathic childhood occipital epilepsy (Gastaut type) which evolved into electroclinical features of continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep (CSWS). All three patients presented with two focal idiopathic epilepsies with a particular evolution associated with CSWS, supporting the concept of benign childhood seizure susceptibility syndrome as described by Panayiotopoulos (1993).