Abdominal epilepsy as an unusual cause of abdominal pain: a case report

• Published in: African health sciences Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 877 - 879
• Main Authors: Yunus, Yilmaz, Sefer, Ustebay, Dondu, Ulker Ustebay, Ismail, Ozanli, Yusuf, Ehi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Uganda Makerere Medical School 01-09-2016
• Subjects: Abdominal Pain - etiology; Child, Preschool; Diagnosis, Differential; Electrocardiography; Epilepsies, Partial - diagnosis; Female; Humans; Ultrasonography; case report; abdominal pain; Abdominal epilepsy
• ISSN: 1680-6905; 1729-0503
• DOI: 10.4314/ahs.v16i3.32

Abdominal pain, in etiology sometimes difficult to be defined, is a frequent complaint in childhood. Abdominal epilepsy is a rare cause of abdominal pain.
In this article, we report on 5 year old girl patient with abdominal epilepsy.
Some investigations (stool investigation, routine blood tests, ultrasonography (USG), electrocardiogram (ECHO) and electrocardiograpy (ECG), holter for 24hr.) were done to understand the origin of these complaints; but no abnormalities were found. Finally an EEG was done during an episode of abdominal pain and it was shown that there were generalized spikes especially precipitated by hyperventilation. The patient did well on valproic acid therapy and EEG was normal 1 month after beginning of the treatment.
The cause of chronic recurrent paroxymal abdominal pain is difficult for the clinicians to diagnose in childhood. A lot of disease may lead to paroxysmal gastrointestinal symptoms like familial mediterranean fever and porfiria. Abdominal epilepsy is one of the rare but easily treatable cause of abdominal pain.
In conclusion, abdominal epilepsy should be suspected in children with recurrent abdominal pain.