VOMITO, DEVIAZIONE OCULARE, EMICONVULSIONE: UNA PARTICOLARE FORMA DI STATO EPILETTICO NEL BAMBINO

We describe a particular form of Status Epilepticus in six patients, between 4 and 10 years of age, characterized by stereotyped initial symptoms with malaise and vomiting, followed by eye deviation and hemiclonic or tonic-clonic seizures. There were no other types of seizures, and no headache after the seizure. The EEGs were not characteristic of a specific form of epilepsy and the postictal EEG in all cases showed a large amount of delta activity over both occipital regions. The seizures stopped with antiepileptic drugs (phenobarbital). We believe that this is a form of benign idiopathic Status Epilepticus in children, but we discuss the actual nature of the syndrome and if it is to be considered as epilepsy.