Temporal lobe epilepsy manifests refractory recurrent abdominal visceral pain in a 7-year-old children

Abstract

Refractory Recurrent abdominal visceral pain (RAVP) is a severe condition and can be difficult to diagnose and manage due to its poorly understood pathophysiological mechanisms. Here we report a 7-year-old patient with a 2-year history of temporal lobe epilepsy manifesting refractory RAVP. The patient was treated with anterior temporal lobectomy (including the amygdala and the hippocampal formation), and the pain resolved completely after surgery. The patient remained free of seizures and pain during 4 years of post-surgery follow-up. Based on this case and previous studies, we speculate a central mechanism and neuromodulation target for refractory visceral pain.

Keywords

• Refractory visceral pain
• Temporal lobe epilepsy
• Amygdala
• Anterior temporal lobectomy