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Gestural automatisms during syncope related to cervical malignancy
Sara Gasparini1, Edoardo Ferlazzo, Vittoria Cianci
1Institute of Neurology, Magna Græcia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B
|February 4, 2011
Summary
Cervical cancer can cause syncope with unusual bimanual movements. Video-polygraphic recording confirmed syncope, not seizures, leading to symptom resolution after mass removal.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Oncology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Cervical malignancies are an uncommon cause of syncope.
- Gestural automatisms during syncope are rarely documented.
- Differentiating syncope from focal seizures is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
Observation:
- A patient presented with bimanual automatisms during syncopal episodes.
- The syncope was caused by a parapharyngeal carcinoma involving the right laterocervical region.
- The observed ictal phenomenology mimicked focal seizures.
Findings:
- Video-polygraphic recording, including electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG), was essential for accurate diagnosis.
- The patient's syncopal episodes resolved after surgical removal of the parapharyngeal mass.
- This case highlights the importance of considering syncope in patients with loss of consciousness and automatisms.
Implications:
- Gestural automatisms during syncope warrant thorough neurophysiological investigation to rule out seizures.
- Early diagnosis and treatment of cervical malignancies causing syncope can lead to symptom resolution.
- This case expands the understanding of rare presentations of syncope secondary to head and neck cancers.
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