Seizures in Temporal Lobe Caused Excessive Sweating in Man

Seizures in the temporal lobe of the brain found to have triggered monthly episodes of excessive sweating in a man. The case report is published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

Excessive sweating is common and frequent causes include obesity, anxiety, or hyperthyroidism, among many other common conditions. Cyclic sweating is different because it occurs in cycles that are regularly repeated.

‘Patient's excessive sweating reduced to just one in the last one and half years after treatment with anti-seizure medications.’

Clinicians from Advocate Aurora Health Care and Ascension Wisconsin saw a 60-year-old man complaining of spontaneous episodes of sweating that had started 3 years earlier. A series of tests ruled out common causes. During an office visit, the patient had an episode of severe sweating observed directly by the clinicians. Altered responsiveness during the sweating event suggested a seizure, so the clinicians scheduled a 7-day ambulatory EEG to begin a few days before his next expected cluster of sweating episodes. The EEG showed left temporal lobe activity suggesting a seizure.

After treatment with anti-seizure medications, the patient has only had one episode of sweating in the last year and a half. According to the authors, these findings suggest that seizures should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cyclic conditions with autonomic symptoms, such as sweating or nausea and vomiting.



Source: Eurekalert