Self Limited Late Onset Occipital Epilepsy Gastaut Syndrome

This syndrome is also known as:

• Late-onset, childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms
• Late onset benign occipital epilepsy of Gastaut
• Self-limited late onset childhood occipital epilepsy of Gastaut

The EEG in self-limited, late-onset occipital epilepsy may be similar to Panayiatopoulos syndrome which is seen earlier in life. The EEG changes are found in the occipital lobes (back part of the brain) where the seizures typically begin. This area of the brain helps process visual information.

Seizures in this epilepsy initially involve simple visual symptoms.

• A person may see colors or circular dots.
• Loss of vision can occur.
• Children can also have nystagmus (rapid back-and-forth movements of the eyes) and deviation or turning of the eyes in one direction.
• As the seizure progresses, more of the visual field can become involved.
• These seizures usually remain focal in the occipital lobes. Sometimes they may spread to both sides of the brain and a generalized tonic clonic seizure may happen.
• Seizures typically last 1-3 minutes.
• Children can have headaches after their seizures.