Mr. Potato Head

Abstract

This case illustrates diagnostic challenges in patients with epilepsy and suspected sleep disorders. Specifically, the symptomatic generalized epilepsy Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is an age-related epileptic encephalopathy characterized by developmental delay; multiple seizure types, including tonic seizures in drowsiness and sleep; and generalized slow spike-wave complexes on electroencephalography (EEG). Tonic seizures in sleep can be unrecognized or can be confused with sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. The case demonstrates how to identify generalized epileptic abnormalities and seizures on the limited EEG montage used in routine polysomnography and expanded EEG using the 10-20 system of electrode placement.