Podcast
“The diagnosis”
Strange seizures while brushing teeth – does the patient have epilepsy?
On the weekends, a man always seems to have gone out of the way. Specialists find out what this has to do with brushing your teeth.
A man comes to the seizure disorders department. For a year now, every couple of days he has looked like he was gone. Then he smacks his lips, salivates heavily, twitches and makes mumbling noises. These episodes occur for about two minutes – always while brushing your teeth. Acquaintances expressed the suspicion that it could be an epileptic seizure, but the fact that these only occur when brushing teeth seems to speak against it. In addition, epilepsy is unlikely to recur in adulthood without an event such as an accident or stroke.
First, a brain tumor is excluded as a trigger by an MRI scan of the head. Inflammation of the brain, triggered by viruses, bacteria, or antibodies, can also be a reason for the trance-like conditions. But further investigations also rule out this possible cause.
Now the doctors are starting to record the patient’s brain waves using a type of bathing cap with electrodes. Here, the EEG actually hears rhythmic seizure patterns – every time you brush your teeth. Now the examining doctors know: The man is affected by a rare form of illness.
“The diagnosis” – the episodes of the current season to listen to
The podcast “Die Diagnose” with Anika Geisler appears every two weeks – on AudioNow, the platform of RTL Radio Deutschland, and on Spotify and iTunes. In the seventh season, exciting cases of illness are resolved again:
Not enough juice in the battery: A teenage girl often falls asleep during the day. Is it because of nocturnal pauses in breathing? A doctor discovers why the previously prescribed special mask is of no use.
Fateful flat share: A baby keeps getting fever and severe diarrhea. A doctor finally finds the reason: he has to do with the roommates.