Epileptic seizures followed by nonepileptic manifestations: a video-EEG diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE

To present and discuss a case of a woman who for many years was presumed to have nonepileptic seizures (NES), but proved to actually have both electrical and non-electrical seizures, the latter occurring in a close temporal association with the former. To also discuss the seimiology her true as well as NES and compare to other cases identified from a literature review on this subject.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Closed-circuit video-EEG monitoring was performed in order to capture and subsequently analyse the patient's events.

RESULTS

During video-EEG monitoring, she proved to have short electrical seizures followed by psychogenic elaborations. Her NES had obscured her true seizures for a number of years.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychogenic elaboration of an epileptic seizure (ES) may occur in the same patient and the latter may obscure the former. The use of video-EEG monitoring may delineate the correct diagnosis and help clarify the relationship of the two types of events.