Reappraisal of epileptic pain as a rare symptom of seizures. 2016

Nevin Kuloğlu Pazarcı, and Nerses Bebek, and Betül Baykan, and Candan Gürses, and Ayşen Gökyiğit
Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: nevinpazarci@yahoo.com.

OBJECTIVE To draw attention to epileptic pain which is a rare seizure symptom mostly causing wrong diagnosis and delayed treatment. We present nine patients in whom pain was a prominent initial or early ictal symptom. METHODS We reviewed the records of 4736 patients, and found nine patients who had pain as an aura or an early prominent symptom of their seizures. Seizure semiology, EEG, and cranial imaging features were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS Age at seizure onset ranged from 6 months to 50 years, and the mean age during the study was 37.7±11.9 years. Pain was predominantly peripherally localized in four patients, whereas cephalic pain was detected in three patients, and abdominal pain was detected in two patients. Electroencephalography (EEG) revealed epileptic abnormalities on the temporoparietal and frontotemporal regions in three patients each. Photosensitive generalized epileptic discharges were detected in one and diffuse background slowing in the remaining two other patients. Electroencephalography abnormalities were lateralized to the contralateral site of the pain in four patients with strictly localized pain. Three patients revealed no abnormality on the cranial MR imaging, whereas others showed different types of abnormality such as heterotopias (n:1), mesial temporal lobe atrophy (n:1), white and gray matter sequela lesions (n:1), diffuse white matter lesion (n:1), chronic encephalomalacia and gliosis (n:1), and perivascular space dilatation (n:1). CONCLUSIONS Epileptic pain is a neglected, but important, semiologic symptom with localization and lateralization value in the patients with somatosensorial seizures of parietal as well as temporal lobe origin. It occurs mainly as peripherally localized, cephalic, or abdominal pain and is usually associated with a symptomatic etiology. Awareness of epileptic pain is important to avoid misdiagnosis and delayed treatment.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D010146 Pain An unpleasant sensation induced by noxious stimuli which are detected by NERVE ENDINGS of NOCICEPTIVE NEURONS. Suffering, Physical,Ache,Pain, Burning,Pain, Crushing,Pain, Migratory,Pain, Radiating,Pain, Splitting,Aches,Burning Pain,Burning Pains,Crushing Pain,Crushing Pains,Migratory Pain,Migratory Pains,Pains, Burning,Pains, Crushing,Pains, Migratory,Pains, Radiating,Pains, Splitting,Physical Suffering,Physical Sufferings,Radiating Pain,Radiating Pains,Splitting Pain,Splitting Pains,Sufferings, Physical
D004569 Electroencephalography Recording of electric currents developed in the brain by means of electrodes applied to the scalp, to the surface of the brain, or placed within the substance of the brain. EEG,Electroencephalogram,Electroencephalograms
D004827 Epilepsy A disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of paroxysmal brain dysfunction due to a sudden, disorderly, and excessive neuronal discharge. Epilepsy classification systems are generally based upon: (1) clinical features of the seizure episodes (e.g., motor seizure), (2) etiology (e.g., post-traumatic), (3) anatomic site of seizure origin (e.g., frontal lobe seizure), (4) tendency to spread to other structures in the brain, and (5) temporal patterns (e.g., nocturnal epilepsy). (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p313) Aura,Awakening Epilepsy,Seizure Disorder,Epilepsy, Cryptogenic,Auras,Cryptogenic Epilepsies,Cryptogenic Epilepsy,Epilepsies,Epilepsies, Cryptogenic,Epilepsy, Awakening,Seizure Disorders
D004829 Epilepsy, Generalized Recurrent conditions characterized by epileptic seizures which arise diffusely and simultaneously from both hemispheres of the brain. Classification is generally based upon motor manifestations of the seizure (e.g., convulsive, nonconvulsive, akinetic, atonic, etc.) or etiology (e.g., idiopathic, cryptogenic, and symptomatic). (From Mayo Clin Proc, 1996 Apr;71(4):405-14) Convulsive Generalized Seizure Disorder,Epilepsy, Tonic,Generalized Nonconvulsive Seizure Disorder,Seizure Disorder, Generalized,Convulsive Seizure Disorder, Generalized,Epilepsy, Akinetic,Epilepsy, Atonic,Generalized Convulsive Epilepsy,Generalized Nonconvulsive Epilepsy,Generalized Onset Seizure Disorder,Generalized Seizure Disorder, Convulsive,Generalized Seizure Disorder, Nonconvulsive,Nonconvulsive Generalized Seizure Disorder,Nonconvulsive Seizure Disorder, Generalized,Seizure Disorder, Convulsive, Generalized,Seizure Disorder, Generalized Nonconvulsive,Seizure Disorder, Generalized Onset,Seizure Disorder, Generalized, Convulsive,Seizure Disorder, Nonconvulsive Generalized,Symptomatic Generalized Epilepsy,Akinetic Epilepsies,Akinetic Epilepsy,Atonic Epilepsies,Atonic Epilepsy,Convulsive Epilepsies, Generalized,Convulsive Epilepsy, Generalized,Epilepsies, Akinetic,Epilepsies, Atonic,Epilepsies, Generalized,Epilepsies, Generalized Convulsive,Epilepsies, Tonic,Epilepsy, Generalized Convulsive,Epilepsy, Generalized Nonconvulsive,Epilepsy, Symptomatic Generalized,Generalized Convulsive Epilepsies,Generalized Epilepsies,Generalized Epilepsy,Generalized Epilepsy, Symptomatic,Generalized Seizure Disorder,Generalized Seizure Disorders,Nonconvulsive Epilepsy, Generalized,Seizure Disorders, Generalized,Tonic Epilepsies,Tonic Epilepsy
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly

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