Panayiotopoulos syndrome: diagnosis and management

Panayiotopoulos syndrome is a relatively frequent and benign epileptic syndrome, characterised by predominantly autonomic symptoms and/or simple motor focal seizures followed or not by impairment of consciousness. Interictal EEG shows occipital spikes although multifocal spikes with high amplitude sharp-slow wave complexes at various locations can be present. This syndrome can imitate gastroenteritis, encephalitis, syncope, migraine, sleep disorders or metabolic diseases. The peculiar aspects should be known not only by epileptologists but also by general doctors because a correct diagnosis would avoid aggressive interventions and concerns on account of its benign outcome. This review focuses on the main clinical and EEG features of this epilepsy underlining its typical and atypical symptoms and its management.