Seizures Presenting as Incessant Laughter: A Case of Gelastic Epilepsy

Background

Gelastic seizures are defined as seizure activity manifesting as laughter inappropriate to the situation, with supporting evidence on electroencephalogram or magnetic resonance imaging. Gelastic seizures are most commonly reported in patients with hypothalamic hamartomas causing precocious puberty. The differential diagnosis of incessant laughter is important to recognize in the Emergency Department, as some conditions warrant immediate treatment and others require further diagnostic work-up with implications for the entire family.

Objectives

The background and pathophysiology of gelastic epilepsy will be discussed.

Case Report

The case of a previously healthy girl with acute onset of incessant laughter is reported. This patient was diagnosed with a clinical case of gelastic seizures. This case illustrates the importance of recognizing this form of seizures for accurate treatment and follow-up.

Conclusion

This case report illustrates the importance of a broad differential for a patient presenting emergently with uncontrollable laughter. Gelastic epilepsy is relatively rare but requires further work-up and often may require chronic therapy.     

Catamenial Epilepsy: The Menstrual Cycle as a Clue to Predict Future Refractory Seizures

Background

Catamenial epilepsy is defined as an increase in the frequency of seizures during a particular phase of the menstrual cycle. The increased seizure frequency is attributed to the cyclic variation and neuroactive properties of endogenous steroid hormones. It is estimated that more than one-third of women with epilepsy experience catamenial seizure exacerbation.

Emergency Department Management of Patients with Seizures: A Multicenter Study

OBJECTIVES: Patients with seizure disorders are common in the emergency department (ED), yet little is known regarding the management of these patients. This study was performed to define the frequency of patients with seizure disorders in the ED patient population and to determine possible seizure etiologies, characteristics of diagnostic activities, treatments, and dispositions. METHODS: Twelve EDs monitored all patients with a chief complaint related to seizure disorders presenting over 18.25 days (5% of the calendar year) in late 1997. Retrospective chart review was used to gather specific data regarding these consecutive cases. RESULTS: Of the 31,508 patients who presented to these 12 EDs during the study period, 368 (1.2%) had complaints related to seizures. Three hundred sixty-two charts were available for analysis and make up the study population. Two hundred fifty-seven (71%) utilized emergency medical services (EMS) for transport and care. Advanced care, including intravenous access, laboratory work, cardiac monitoring, or oxygen administration, was utilized in 304 (84%) patients. Antiepileptic drugs were given in 199 (55%) patients. Ethanol withdrawal or low antiepileptic drug levels were implicated as contributing factors in 177 (49%) of patients. New-onset seizures were thought to be present in 94 (26%) patients. Status epilepticus occurred in only 21 (6%) patients. Ninety-eight (27%) of all patients were admitted to the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with presenting complaints related to seizures are frequent in the ED population and make considerable demands on EMS and ED resources. Six percent of patients with seizure-related presentations were in status epilepticus and more than a fourth of all patients required hospitalization.     

Generalized Peripheral Nerve Failure During Thoracic Spine Surgery: A Case Report

OBJECTIVE: Intra-operative systemic changes impairing peripheral nerve function are not commonly detected with electrophysiology. This case presentation illustrates how somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) monitoring can detect global changes in peripheral nerve excitability during spine surgery. METHODS: A posterior thoracic spine fixation was performed on a young male with multiple traumatic injuries. Bilateral tibial nerve SSEPs were intraoperatively recorded, along with the right median nerve SSEP for control. RESULTS: A rapid, progressive loss of tibial and median nerve potentials (followed by cortical SSEP loss) occurred 90 min after anaesthetic induction. Oxygenation and fluid volume were adequate throughout the case, despite mean airway resistance being elevated (33 cmH(2)0) and blood pressure being low (80/45 mmHg). Corresponding to the decrease in peripheral nerve responses was a drop in end-tidal CO(2) partial pressure (PaCO(2)) from 37 to 25 mmHg. Approximately, 100 min later, the peripheral and cortically generated SSEPs recovered in 2 of 3 limbs monitored. On emergence from anesthesia it was clear that the patient had bitten and kinked the endotracheal tube thus increasing the airway resistance. Ventilation difficulties were magnified with the patient's prone position. Post-operatively there were no sensorimotor deficits. CONCLUSIONS: Somatosensory evoked potential monitoring during spine surgery can detect uncommon generalized nerve conduction block, and further alert surgical teams to a systemic impairment. This was discovered to result from a compromised endotracheal tube. This can apply in various monitoring situations, as the changes affecting the SSEPs were not related to surgical manipulation.     

New-Onset Seizure in Patient Medicated With Bupropion for Smoking Cessation: A Case Report

BackgroundBupropion is a pharmacologic agent approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an antidepressant and to support smoking cessation. Because reduction of seizure threshold is a rare but serious side effect of bupropion, its use in patients with a known history of seizures is contraindicated. We report a patient without seizure risk factors who presented to the emergency department (ED) with new-onset seizures secondary to bupropion use.Case ReportA 66-year-old female presented to the ED by emergency medical services with altered mental status. She was determined to be postictal after a witnessed new-onset seizure 4 days after starting bupropion for smoking cessation. She had no personal or family history of seizure disorders, although her medication list raised suspicion that recent discontinuation of alprazolam may have contributed to a reduced seizure threshold.Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?New-onset seizures secondary to bupropion use are less likely in patients with no personal or family history of seizure disorders. Emergency medicine clinicians should be aware, however, of the seizure risk associated with bupropion regardless of personal risk factors. Discontinuation of bupropion should be considered if determined to be a contributor to seizures.     

Myocardial Ischemia Related to Ergot Alkaloids: A Case Report and Literature Review

Ergotamine tartrate and methysergide are widely used headache treatments with important vasoconstrictive properties. We report a 31-year-old man with cluster headaches who developed severe, prolonged myocardial ischemia following combination therapy with ergotamine tartrate and methysergide. We reviewed the cardiovascular complications of each agent alone and in combination. Given the pharmacologic similarity of these agents, we propose that they may have additive or synergistic cardiac toxicity, at least in vulnerable individuals. We recommend caution when these agents are used together.     

Orbital Compartment Syndrome and Irreversible Blindness Related to Orbital Varix Thrombosis: A Case Report

BackgroundOrbital compartment syndrome (OCS) is an ocular emergency that can severely threaten the visual potential. The most common etiologies include facial trauma-related orbital wall fractures and postoperative bleeding within the orbit. Nontraumatic cases were also reported sporadically, although they are rare. The orbital volume limits the compliance to expand when space-occupying lesions develop. Both direct compression of the optic nerve and depleted perfusion from elevated intraorbital pressure subsequently lead to ischemic optic neuropathy and vision loss.Case ReportA 74-year-old man experienced headache, bulging left eye, dull pain, vision loss, nausea, and vomiting within 1 day. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a heterogeneous mass extending from the orbital apex and connected with the ophthalmic vein. Lateral canthotomy and cantholysis were performed at bedside for emergent orbital decompression. The proptosis and pain relieved after surgery, but visual loss remained irreversible. Surgical exploration was conducted and pathology proved the diagnosis of varix of the ophthalmic vein with thrombosis.Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?Clinicians should be aware of the presentation of OCS and perform timely orbital decompression, which could reverse visual impairment. These patients might also benefit from immediate consultants with ophthalmologists and radiologists.     

BRASH Syndrome: A Case Report

BackgroundBRASH syndrome, a relatively new entity, has been described in the recent literature. It is defined as a combination of bradycardia, renal failure, atrioventricular nodal blockade, shock, and hyperkalemia. Although it is apparent that clinical symptomatology includes shock, it is still unclear whether all patients will initially present with all five components mentioned in the BRASH acronym.Case ReportAn elderly woman presented to our Emergency Department (ED) with hyperkalemia, acute renal failure, and metabolic acidosis with bradycardia, which was refractory to antikalemic measures and atropine. The montage of clinical features put together showed a clear picture of BRASH syndrome, which helped us to streamline the management and achieve a better patient outcome.Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?Renal failure with various metabolic derangements is commonly seen in the ED. We should be aware of this new clinical entity, as its incidence will certainly increase, and the management is a bit different. Prognosis is excellent with timely recognition and management of this rare clinical entity.     

Using Functional Analysis to Assess Alertness and Seizures in a 24-year-old Woman with Intellectual Disabilities: A Case Report

The purpose of this study was assess environmental variables associated with pseudo-siezures displayed by a 24-year-old woman with intellectual disabilities. A modified brief functional analysis was conducted over 5 days to determine the environmental correlates of the participant’s seizures. An alertness analysis was conducted to evaluate the participant’s awareness during pseudo seizure episodes. Results suggested that the episodes occurred across all session; thus the participant’s behavior was not maintained by social consequences. Results of an alertness analysis indicated that the participant did not have any control over her pseudo-seizure behavior. This suggests that actual seizure activity was present in the participant.     

Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation for Erythromelalgia Related Foot Pain: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Erythromelalgia is a rare neurovascular disorder characterized by erythema, warmth, and episodic burning pain, often felt in the face, hands, and feet. Symptoms are typically worse with heat, exercise, stress, and during the overnight hours. Management often requires a multidisciplinary approach, including pain trigger avoidance, cool water baths, and topical and oral neuropathic medications. The use of spinal cord stimulation has been described in multiple case reports with success reported out to 24 months. To our knowledge, the use of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation for erythromelalgia-related pain has not been described. Herein, we present a case of erythromelalgia-related pain at the bilateral plantar surfaces of the feet, which was treated successfully with bilateral sacral S1 nerve root DRG stimulation.     

Hypnic Headache Due to Hypoglycemia: A Case Report

Hypnic headache (HH) is a rare primary headache disorder and pathophysiology is still poorly understood. It is considered a chronobiological disorder in almost all published cases. Few secondary cases have been described so far. We report a case of a 64-year-old woman presenting headaches exclusively during sleep and fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for HH, but a 72-hour glucose monitoring showed hypoglycemia episodes related to the onset of headaches. To our knowledge, this is the first report of symptomatic HHs associated with hypoglycemia and it suggests direct evidence of HH due to a metabolic disorder.     

389例脑性瘫痪的误诊、漏诊及过度诊断原因分析

目的分析临床中对脑性瘫痪(脑瘫)的误诊、漏诊及过度诊断情况。方法对1999年7月～2010年3月住院或门诊患儿中首诊时与脑瘫的误诊、漏诊及过度诊断有关的389例患儿进行回顾性分析。结果389例患儿中,156例脑瘫患儿漏诊或误诊为营养性疾病,118例其他疾病患儿误诊为脑瘫,115例正常儿过度诊断为脑瘫;错误诊断情况与其年龄有相关性：年龄越小,越容易出现诊断错误,其中1岁以内婴儿错误诊断293例(75.3%);2004年9月之前漏诊或误诊为其他疾病者较多,为102例(65.4%),2004年9月之后以过度诊断较多,为87例(75.7%),其他疾病误诊为脑瘫在2004年以后有所减少,从55.9%降至44.1%。结论提高对脑瘫的认识,正确掌握脑瘫的诊断标准非常重要。既要做到对脑瘫的早期诊断、早期治疗,以达到最佳的康复疗效,又要防止误诊及过度诊断,以致延误病情或浪费医疗资源、增加患儿家庭经济负担及心理负担。     

Transient Coagulopathy Due to Wasp Sting: A Case Report

Background

Insect venom anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening disorder. Transient coagulopathy in insect venom anaphylaxis is a rare phenomenon.

Submersion and Early-Onset Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Case Report

Abstract

Drowning is a common cause of accidental death, particularly in younger people, and acute respiratory failure is common in these patients. This case report describes a healthy 18-year-old man who suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest due to submersion while swimming in a freshwater lake. First-responder cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation using an automated external defibrillator resulted in a return of spontaneous circulation. The patient was evacuated to a tertiary care center by a rotor-wing air medical crew. The crew experienced difficulties in oxygenating and ventilating the patient because of early-onset acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This case report describes the pathophysiology and prehospital management of a patient with suspected early-onset ARDS secondary to drowning. This case report is unique because it describes the oxygenation and ventilation difficulties encountered in managing this patient in the transport setting, and possible strategies to deal with these difficulties. Finally, this case report highlights the prehospital bypass decision-making process for patients requiring specialized medical care.     

Naphthalene Mothballs Poisoning Leading to Intravascular Hemolysis: A Case Report

BackgroundNaphthalene is widely used in households as an insect repellent, but its poisoning is rare, especially in adults. Naphthalene is a strong oxidant with a pungent smell.Case ReportWe report a case of a 16-year-old female who ingested three naphthalene mothballs 3 days prior to admission and presented with history of recurrent vomiting, severe pallor, jaundice, and hemoglobinuria. Investigation found severe hemolytic anemia, indirect hyperbilirubinemia, acute kidney injury, and evidence of intravascular hemolysis. Her urine output was normal throughout the course of illness. She was managed conservatively with i.v. fluid, oral ascorbic acid, and blood transfusion. With treatment our patient improved completely and was discharged in hemodynamically stable condition. She is doing fine after further follow-up.Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?Emergency physician should keep the possibility of poisoning by an oxidizing agent, such as naphthalene, when a patient presents to the emergency department with rapid onset pallor, jaundice, and hemoglobinuria.