Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2021

Publication Title

Cureus

ISSN

2168-8184

Department(s)

Department of Pediatrics; Department of Surgery

Keywords

focal seizures, parasomnia, pediatric neurology, pediatric sleep disorders, seizures

Abstract

A 16-year-old male was referred by the primary care physician (PCP) for a second opinion. An initial evaluation in another sleep center suggested a working diagnosis of night terrors for the last two years. The child would wake up frequently screaming for few minutes before going back to sleep with no recollection of these events later. A video during the polysomnography (PSG) showed the patient having one of his typical events. He was eventually diagnosed with Sleep-related Hypermotor Epilepsy (SHE) seizures. This case highlights the importance of differentiating parasomnia and seizures, particularly for the sleep medicine providers that incorporate providers from different academic backgrounds. We will discuss the clinical challenges to make the distinction for the referring providers and demonstrate the importance of video-PSG to establish the diagnosis.

Volume

13

Issue

9

First Page

e18047

DOI

10.7759/cureus.18047

PubMed ID

34692279

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