Research Article: A Case Report of a 5-Year-Old Girl with Self-Limited Epilepsy with Autonomic Seizures
Abstract:
Background: Self-limited epilepsy with autonomic seizures (SeLEAS), formerly known as Panayiotopoulos syndrome (PS), is a common multifocal autonomic childhood epileptic syndrome. SeLEAS affects 6% of children in between the ages of 1 and 15 years who have had one or more afebrile seizures in their lifetime. Case: A 5-year-old girl was admitted to the paediatric emergency room (ER) of our hospital due to a reported episode of vomiting during her sleep, followed by central cyanosis perorally of sort duration (<5?), a right turn of her head, and gaze fixation with right eye deviation. She was dismissed after a one-day hospitalization free of symptoms. A month later, the patient was admitted to the paediatric ER of a tertiary health unit due to a similar episode. The patient underwent EEG, which revealed pathologic paroxysmal abnormalities of high-amplitude sharp waves and spike-wave complexes in temporal-occipital areas of the left hemisphere, followed by enhancement of focal abnormalities in temporal-occipital areas of the left hemisphere during sleep. The patient was diagnosed with SeLEAS and started levetiracetam. Conclusions: SeLEAS can be easily misdiagnosed as many physicians may not be very familiar with this disease, and, on the other hand, the autonomic manifestations can be easily disregarded as seizures. The physician must always be alert and search beneath the symptoms to find the cause rather than only treat them.
Introduction:
Self-limited epilepsy with autonomic seizures (SeLEAS), previously known as Panayiotopoulos syndrome (PS) or early-onset benign occipital epilepsy, is a well-known childhood epileptic syndrome characterized by multifocal autonomic seizures. Renowned neurologist Chrysostomos Panayiotopoulos was instrumental in describing this syndrome [1]. It is characterized by seizures, often prolonged, with predominantly autonomic symptoms (e.g., nausea and vomiting, urinary and faeces incontinence, mydriasis or mysis,…
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