[Asystole due to complex partial epilepsy]

A 56-year-old man was seen in the Emergency Room because of sudden and transient loss of consciousness. An asystole was diagnosed with 10 S duration after which a pacemaker was implanted. The patient had experienced such collapses before, preceded by odd smell sensations. After the implantation of the pacemaker, the patient did not collapse again but still experienced attacks of the same smell sensations combined with a strange feeling in his stomach. An EEG, recorded during such an attack, showed epileptic activity predominantly over the right hemisphere while at the same moment a pacemaker rhythm was observed. After the epileptic activity had stopped, normal sinus rhythm reappeared. On anticonvulsant therapy the attacks disappeared completely.