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. 2014 Oct;17(4):470-2.
doi: 10.4103/0972-2327.144043.

Hot water epilepsy: Phenotype and single photon emission computed tomography observations

Mehul Patel  1 , Parthasarathy Satishchandra  1 , Hanumanthapura Aravinda  2 , Rose D Bharath  2 , Sanjib Sinha  1
Affiliations

Hot water epilepsy: Phenotype and single photon emission computed tomography observations

Mehul Patel et al. Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 2014 Oct.

Abstract

We studied the anatomical correlates of reflex hot water epilepsy (HWE) using multimodality investigations viz. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Five men (mean age: 27.0 ΁ 5.8 years) with HWE were subjected to MRI of brain, video-EEG studies, and SPECT scan. These were correlated with phenotypic presentations. Seizures could be precipitated in three patients with pouring of hot water over the head and semiology of seizures was suggestive of temporal lobe epilepsy. Ictal SPECT showed hyperperfusion in: left medial temporal - one, left lateral temporal - one, and right parietal - one. Interictal SPECT was normal in all five patients and did not help in localization. MRI and interictal EEG was normal in all the patients. The clinical and SPECT studies suggested temporal lobe as the seizure onset zone in some of the patients with HWE.

Keywords: Hot water epilepsy; magnetic resonance imaging; single photon emission computed tomography; temporal lobe epilepsy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Single photon emission computed tomography imaging in a patient (no. 2) with hot water epilepsy showing normal interictal scan (a) and hyperperfusion of left lateral temporal region in the ictal scan (b)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Single photon emission computed tomography imaging in a patient (no. 1) with hot water epilepsy showing normal interictal scan (a) and hyperperfusion of left medial temporal and slightly on right lateral temporal regions in the ictal scan (b)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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