PHARYNGEAL DYSESTHESIA AS AN AURA IN TEMPORAL-LOBE EPILEPSY

Purpose: Because oral, buccal, and sometimes oral-pharyngeal manifesta tions in epilepsy are linked to the central-temporal region, we studie d 3 patients with childhood-onset partial seizures that consistently b egan with pharyngeal dysesthesias, described as either throat tingling or burning, to localize seizure onset. Methods: Because of an intract able clinical course, each patient underwent invasive video-EEG monito ring, which localized the epileptogenic zone to the mesial temporal lo be. The 3 patients underwent temporal lobe resections. Results: All 3 patients achieved remission of the pharyngeal auras and a 90-100% redu ction in the frequency of their seizures. Conclusions: Pharyngeal dyse sthesias can be the initial manifestation of complex partial seizures (CPS) of temporal lobe origin.