An atypical case of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome not associated with mental retardation: a nosological issue

Abstract

The characteristic electroclinical features of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) have been extensively reported, but the influence of the constellation of slow spike-and-wave (SSW) complexes with multiple seizure types (including atypical absence seizures [AAS] and tonic seizures [TS]) on patients with this syndrome is still unclear. We report the case of a 28-year-old woman who developed AAS and brief asymmetric TS at the age of 14 years. Her seizure disorder met diagnostic criteria for LGS (SSW on electroencephalogram and multiple seizure types), but there was no intellectual impairment and an interictal alpha EEG. Even 14 years after the onset of her epilepsy, she maintained fairly normal cognitive function, although she was bothered by frequent brief and subtle episodes of AAS and TS.