[Recurrent idiopathic stupor in a patient: responsibility of exogenous or endogenous benzodiazepines?]

Recurrent transitory consciousness loss represents a neurological diagnostic difficulty. A 56 year old man was hospitalised for recurrent stupor episodes. Explorations allowed to exclude hepatic, renal or respiratory failures, epilepsy or sleep disorder. During a stuporous state, since the patient was clearly awakened by flumazenil administration, the retained diagnosis was idiopathic recurrent stupor, a rare and not well-known disease. The authors discuss the possible effect of a treatment with zolpidem, though its pharmacokinetic characteristics did not correspond to the patient manifestations, and the possible responsibility of endogenous benzodiazepines in the genesis of this trouble.