Cardiac Asystole Triggered by Temporal Lobe Epilepsy with Amygdala Enlargement

Intern Med. 2016;55(11):1463-5. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.55.6200. Epub 2016 Jun 1.

Abstract

A 25-year-old previously healthy man was hospitalized for syncope. While standing, he suddenly lost consciousness, followed by a generalized tonic clonic seizure. An electrocardiogram demonstrated asystole. No cardiac abnormalities were detected on the echocardiogram, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography, or a coronary angiogram. An electrophysiological study showed normal sinus node and atrioventricular node function. An electroencephalogram revealed small spike waves in the fronto-temporal region. Brain MRI demonstrated a left-sided amygdala enlargement. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of temporal lobe epilepsy with an amygdala enlargement that induced cardiac asystole.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Amygdala / diagnostic imaging
  • Amygdala / physiopathology*
  • Electrocardiography
  • Electroencephalography
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / complications*
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Arrest / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Arrest / etiology*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Temporal Lobe