By: Iris Zhao
Abdominal Epilepsy
What is Abdominal Epilepsy?
Abdominal epilepsy is an uncommon type of temporal lobe epilepsy that results from seizure activity leading to symptoms of gastrointestinal and abdominal pain that ranges in severity. This form of epilepsy is usually caused by abnormal and unusual bursts of electrical activity in a person’s temporal lobe. From one seizure to the next, a person with abdominal epilepsy may suddenly suffer a sudden increase in stomach pain from mild to severe. However, it is important to note that stomach pain isn’t the sole symptom associated with abdominal epilepsy as there are additional symptoms that may occur including the experience of nausea and noticing changes in vision.
(Cleveland Clinic, n.d.; Zinkin & Peppercorn, 2005)
Causes
The exact cause of abdominal epilepsy and why it happens is unknown. However, abdominal epilepsy typically occurs when the temporal lobe, the part of a person’s brain behind their ears, sends out abnormal bursts of electrical activity or abnormal brain signals to various parts of the body. These abnormal signals do not end up going towards its correct destination in the body which in this case, would be the abdomen. (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.)
Signs and Symptoms
Recurrent abdominal pain is the primary symptom of abdominal epilepsy. Other potential symptoms that may come with abdominal epilepsy includes the following:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Changes to a person’s vision
- A loss of consciousness
- Uncontrollable convulsions or muscle movements
- The feeling of pins or needles in the skin (paresthesia)
- Confusion
- Anxiety
- Headaches
Abdominal epilepsy can also contribute to risks and complications such as malnutrition, as it disrupts the digestive system which leads to a common symptom of nausea or vomiting. Similar to any seizure, physical injuries are also common as these conditions can cause someone to fall or hurt themselves when losing consciousness and the ability to control one’s muscle movements.
(Cleveland Clinic, n.d., Dutta et al., 2007)
Diagnosis
Abdominal epilepsy is typically diagnosed by a doctor or healthcare provider after conducting a physical exam. During this time, a healthcare provider will work on learning about your medical history and potential symptoms you have experienced. Usually, episodes of gastrointestinal symptoms or pain that end up lasting more than a few hours are still not enough to conclude a diagnosis of abdominal epilepsy. However, if additional neurological symptoms or central nervous system signs are present such as if one was experiencing impaired consciousness, convulsions, or vision changes, it would provide a more likely diagnosis of abdominal epilepsy.
Healthcare providers may also conduct an electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure the electrical activity in a person’s brain and learn how the brain is functioning. Thus, if electrical activity in a person’s brain is shown to be abnormal in the temporal lobes, this could mean a possible abdominal epilepsy diagnosis. However, additional testing such as blood and imaging tests, would usually be performed in order to exclude other possible conditions that have similar symptoms to abdominal epilepsy.
(Cleveland Clinic, n.d.; Zinkin & Peppercorn, 2005)
Treatment
Once a diagnosis is confirmed, abdominal epilepsy may be treated in the following ways:
- Antiseizure medications: This is typically the first-line of treatment. Healthcare providers work on providing you with one or a combination of medications that may reduce the number of seizures that occur and lower the severity of those seizures. Based on the clinical response, additional medication may be prescribed.
- Surgery: If antiseizure medications are not successful with treating abdominal epilepsy in a patient, healthcare providers may recommend and refer the patient to a medical center specializing in epilepsy surgery. If the patient is deemed a candidate for the type of surgical treatment, then surgical treatment would be the next suggestion if antiseizure medications are unsuccessful.
(Cleveland Clinic, n.d.)
Conclusion
Recognizing the symptoms of abdominal epilepsy is important as it can often be mistaken for other gastrointestinal conditions. Recurrent abdominal pain accompanied by neurological symptoms including nausea, changes in vision, confusion, or loss of consciousness should prompt further medical evaluation as it could lead to a diagnosis of abdominal epilepsy. Early diagnosis through a medical assessment and appropriate testing would help healthcare providers distinguish abdominal epilepsy from other conditions and begin effective treatment. If a person is diagnosed with abdominal epilepsy, they will be given treatment through antiseizure medications, and in some cases, surgery. With proper management, many individuals with abdominal epilepsy can reduce their seizure frequency, improve their quality of life, and lower the risk of complications that may be associated with this condition.
References
Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Abdominal Epilepsy: Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/abdominal-epilepsy
Dutta, S. R., Hazarika, I., & Chakravarty, B. P. (2007). Abdominal epilepsy, an uncommon cause of recurrent abdominal pain: A brief report. Gut, 56(3), 439–441. https://doi.org/10.1136/gut.2006.094250
Zinkin, N. T., & Peppercorn, M. A. (2005). Abdominal epilepsy. Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology, 19(2), 263–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpg.2004.10.001
