POSTICTAL NOSE WIPING - A LATERALIZING SIGN IN TEMPORAL-LOBE COMPLEX PARTIAL SEIZURES

We report postictal nose wiping as a postictal symptom of localizing a nd lateralizing significance in focal epilepsy. We reviewed videotapes of 444 focal seizures in 101 patients who underwent prolonged video a nd EEG monitoring during presurgical epilepsy evaluation, and observed postictal nose wiping in 51.3% of 76 patients with temporal lobe epil epsy. The hand used to perform postictal nose wiping was ipsilateral t o the side of seizure origin in 86.5% of all seizures and in 97.3% of all patients. We conclude that postictal nose wiping is a common, easi ly assessed symptom after focal seizures of temporal lobe origin that provides reliable lateralizing information on the side of seizure onse t.