Gelastic seizures, precocious puberty, and hypothalamic hamartoma

Breningstall, Galen N. MD

From St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and the Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia. PA.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Breningstall, Pediatric Neurology, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, 5th and Lehigh Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19133.

Accepted for publication November 16, 1984.

Neurology 35(8):p 1180-1183, August 1985.

Article abstract

The concurrence of gelastic (laughing) seizures and precocious puberty has been reported in 18 patients, including 2 described here. At least 10 patients had hypothalamic hamartomas. Improvements in cerebral imaging permit noninvasive diagnosis. Surgical intervention in seven of these patients was of little diagnostic or therapeutic benefit.