Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes

Abstract

An 8-year-old boy presents with recurrent spells that occur during sleep. They are most commonly noted shortly after he falls asleep. His parents observe unilateral facial twitching and drooling, and hear him make “gurgling” sounds. He appears to be awake during the spell, but is unable to speak. The spell occurs for approximately 1 or 2 min. Afterwards, he takes a couple of minutes to recover but is able to recall the event. He reports a sensation of numbness that will affect his lips and tongue that are present on the same side as the facial twitching. Because of disruptive nature of the spells, the family is seeking medical attention for diagnosis and treatment. The patient is otherwise healthy and engaged in activities at home and at school. His development has been normal. The neurologic and general examinations are also normal. Laboratory studies are unremarkable, and a sleep-deprived electroencephalogram (EEG) is ordered (Fig. 6.1).