Aborted sudden cardiac death in a young patient with epilepsy and the Gorlin Goltz syndrome

• Published in: Epilepsy & behavior reports Vol. 26; p. 100667
• Main Authors: Salazar Serrano, Guilherme, Dias de Oliveira, Alexandre, Miotto, Ramsés, Lin, Katia, Loureiro Fialho, Guilherme
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Atrial fibrillation; Epilepsy; Gorlin Goltz Syndrome; Sudden death; Wolf-Parkinson-White; Wolf-Parkinson-White; Gorlin Goltz Syndrome; Epilepsy; Sudden death; Atrial fibrillation
• ISSN: 2589-9864; 2589-9864
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ebr.2024.100667

•People with epilepsy (PWE) have a three-fold increased risk of premature death.•Cardiac complications such as arrhythmias and sudden death affect PWE.•There are few reports on the association of epilepsy and WPW.•There are few reports on PWE with the Gorlin Goltz syndrome (GGS)•An unusual association GGS and WPW in a PWE with aborted sudden death is presented. Epilepsy is one of the most common chronical neurological conditions affecting over 50 million people worldwide. In addition to the stigma and discrimination, individuals with epilepsy suffer from a nearly three-fold increased risk of premature death compared to the general population. Although these premature deaths occur due to multiple causes, sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) still challenges neurologists and clinicians dealing with individuals with epilepsy. Recently, an increased interest in cardiac outcomes related to acute seizures and chronic epilepsy resulted in the groundbreaking development of the “epileptic heart” concept, and sudden cardiac death in individuals with epilepsy, which is 4.5 times as frequent as SUDEP according to some observational data, has gained more attention. As we gather information and learn about possible comorbidities and consequences of seizures and/or chronic epilepsy, we present a clinical case of a young patient with an unusual association of epilepsy, the Gorlin Goltz syndrome, and a cardiac fibroma with Wolf-Parkinson-White (WPW), who had multiple aborted cardiac arrests. Diagnostic challenges and multiple possible causes of sudden cardiac death in this single patient report are discussed.