PURPOSE: To report three patients in whom focal epilepsy developed shortly after painful soft tissue injuries to their hands. METHODS: Case reports. RESULTS: The attacks started in the injured hand. No evidence was found of an underlying brain lesion by history or from imaging studies. CONCLUSIONS: These cases suggest the possibility that the injuries led to a plastic change in the sensory/motor cortex, leading to increased excitability and ultimately to seizures. This suggests that epileptogenesis can occur in response to painful peripheral stimuli in some individuals.
PURPOSE: To report three patients in whom focal epilepsy developed shortly after painful soft tissue injuries to their hands. METHODS: Case reports. RESULTS: The attacks started in the injured hand. No evidence was found of an underlying brain lesion by history or from imaging studies. CONCLUSIONS: These cases suggest the possibility that the injuries led to a plastic change in the sensory/motor cortex, leading to increased excitability and ultimately to seizures. This suggests that epileptogenesis can occur in response to painful peripheral stimuli in some individuals.