Gelastic epilepsy in children

Abstract EN

Gelastic epilepsy or ictal laughter is a rare type of fits.

This kind of seizure disorder is usually associated with hypothalamic hamartoma, pituitary tumors and mammilary body astrocytoma.

Herewith we present a boy of eight-year-old who began gelastic seizure since two years of age.

During the last six years, the patient took many antiepileptic drugs without any remarkable benefit.

The ictal episods used to occur without any relation with environmental or emotional stimuli, lasting about five minutes, followed by one or two hours of deep sleep.

The interictal EEG revealed focal and generalized seizure discharges in the left temporal lobe.

Because the control of seizure was unsuccessful by antiepileptic drugs, ketogenic diet was introduced which fortunately ceased patients seizures completely.