Five Cases of Nocturnal Epilepsy in Adult

Abstract

Introduction  : Epilepsy  is a common disease, some patients have only symptoms during sleep. The patient thinks this condition is sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome (SUNDS)

Objective  : To  study  characteristics of patients with nocturnal epilepsy (NE), and compared clinical features between NE and Sunds.

Patients  : Patients were diagnosed as NE.

Setting  : Department of Medicine,Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University.

Design  : Descriptive study.

Results  : Five cases were diagnosed of NE, 3 male and 2 female. Mean age was 38 years old. All patients denied family history of epilepsy. Duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 19.8 months. Types of seizures were generalized seizure in 4 cases and complex partial seizure in 1 cases. CT-scan brain was done in 4 cases and the results were normal. Electroencephalography was done in 3 cases and the results showed epileptic activity at right frontoparietal in only one case. All patients had clinically improved with antiepileptic drugs.

Conclusion  : NE was found in both sex and all age groups. The patient denied family history of epilepsy. NE had no cyanosis during attack. These characteristics were different from SUNDS.