Psychogenic seizures mimicking juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: case reports

We describe two patients with psychogenic seizures of rare semiology. Both patients (a 23-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman) attended the emergency department because status epilepticus with myoclonic seizures had been diagnosed. Seizures were documented with video-electroencephalography. Semiology of seizures were brief myoclonia of both arms resulting in a short elevation of both arms without impairment of consciousness. Ictal EEG registration was without abnormal finding. Psychiatric diagnostic assessment suggested a dissociative disorder and mild depression, respectively. During psychiatric treatment seizures occurred only rarely within a 3–5 months follow-up. One should be aware that juvenile myoclonic epilepsy may be mimicked by psychogenic seizures