J Korean Neurol Assoc.  1999 May;17(3):416-419.

Partial seizures presented as apnea in an adult

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul.

Abstract

Although several cases of apneic seizures have been reported in neonates, epileptic seizures presented with apnea only in adults are very rare. We present a 19-year-old man who suffered from viral encephalitis and frequent episodes of apneic seizures. Ictal EEGs, recorded during apneic episodes, showed repetitive sharp waves or rhythmic theta activ-ities arising from the left or right independent bitemporal region. Ictal SPECT was performed during one episode of apnea accompanied by ictal EEG discharges arising from the left posterior temporal area. Ictal-interictal subtraction SPECT coregistered with MRI revealed that the seizures were originated from the left posterior mid-lateral temporal cortex. Previous studies, with ictal EEG or brain stimulation, suggested that apneic seizures might be mediated through the limbic and the associated cortical systems. This is a very rare case of partial seizures presented with apnea in an adult patient, which was supported by ictal EEG and ictal-interictal subtraction SPECT coregistered with MRI.

Keyword

Apneic seizure; Encephalitis; Limbic; Temporal lobe; Subtraction SPECT

MeSH Terms

Adult*
Apnea*
Brain
Electroencephalography
Encephalitis
Encephalitis, Viral
Epilepsy
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Seizures*
Temporal Lobe
Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
Young Adult
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