Cardiac asystole during right frontal lobe seizures: a case report

Neurol Sci. 2005 Dec;26(5):340-3. doi: 10.1007/s10072-005-0496-4.

Abstract

The association between partial seizures and cardiac asystole has rarely been reported in the literature. This potentially life-threatening symptom has been observed principally in left-sided epilepsies, in particular during seizures originating in temporal lobe. We describe a case with ictal bradycardia followed by cardiac asystole during right frontal lobe seizures. Video-EEG monitoring recorded two partial seizures with electro-clinical findings suggestive of a right frontal lobe origin, associated with ictal bradycardia followed by prolonged asystole. The brain MRI showed a lesion located in the cingulate gyrus of the right frontal lobe. The patient required a subsequent placement of a pacemaker. In conclusion, cardiac asystole may be a potentially life-threatening symptom during seizures of frontal lobe origin. The right fronto-mesial structures may play a role in autonomic regulation of cardiovascular responses.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Electrocardiography / methods
  • Electroencephalography / methods
  • Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe / complications*
  • Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe / pathology
  • Heart Arrest / etiology*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Male