Psychogenic seizures mimicking juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: case reports

We describe two patients with psychogenic seizures of rare semiology. Both patients (a 23-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman) attended the emergency department because status epilepticus with myoclonic seizures had been dia gnosed. Seizures were documented with video-electroencephalography. Semiolo gy of seizures were brief myoclonia of both arms resulting in a short eleva tion of both arms without impairment of consciousness. Ictal EEG registrati on was without abnormal finding. Psychiatric diagnostic assessment suggeste d a dissociative disorder and mild depression, respectively. During psychia tric treatment seizures occurred only rarely within a 3-5 months follow-up. One should be aware that juvenile myoclonic epilepsy may be mimicked by ps ychogenic seizures (C) 2001 BEA Trading Ltd.