A 16-Year-Old Male With Frequent Nocturnal Events During Slow Wave Sleep on a Polysomnogram

Abstract

A 16-year-old male was referred by the primary care physician (PCP) for a second opinion. An initial evaluation in another sleep center suggested a working diagnosis of night terrors for the last two years. The child would wake up frequently screaming for few minutes before going back to sleep with no recollection of these events later. A video during the polysomnography (PSG) showed the patient having one of his typical events. He was eventually diagnosed with Sleep-related Hypermotor Epilepsy (SHE) seizures. This case highlights the importance of differentiating parasomnia and seizures, particularly for the sleep medicine providers that incorporate providers from different academic backgrounds. We will discuss the clinical challenges to make the distinction for the referring providers and demonstrate the importance of video-PSG to establish the diagnosis.