Focal epilepsy with paroxysmal pain due to somatic injury

We present two cases with paroxysmal pain that developed after a somatic injury to the trunk. The main characteristic of the episodes was paroxysmal severe pain, mainly located in the original region of somatic injury, with ipsilateral tonic or dystonic behaviour. The clinical characteristics supported a diagnosis of focal epilepsy. Both scalp EEG and MEG findings suggested epileptic activities on the contralateral central cortex. The focal seizures had a good response to antiepileptic drugs. It is hypothesized that peripheral somatic injuries can modify cortical excitability and lead to plastic changes in the sensory/motor cortex, ultimately resulting in focal seizures. We provide additional evidence for the phenomenon that a peripheral somatic injury could induce focal epilepsy. [Published with video sequence on www.epilepticdisorders.com].