When a Doctor Becomes a Patient with a Mystery Illness: A Case Report
Symptoms presenting as mental disorders may represent epileptic discharges, especially from the temporal lobe. Both mental and somatic symptoms are common in temporal lobe epilepsy, which may confuse doctors, leading to extensive medical examinations and tests, false diagnoses, and ineffective treat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2010-01-01
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| Series: | Case Reports in Medicine |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2010/565980 |
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| _version_ | 1832555527071072256 |
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| author | Brit Haver |
| author_facet | Brit Haver |
| author_sort | Brit Haver |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Symptoms presenting as mental disorders may represent epileptic discharges, especially from the temporal lobe. Both mental and somatic symptoms are common in temporal lobe epilepsy, which may confuse doctors, leading to extensive medical examinations and tests, false diagnoses, and ineffective treatment. Also, the episodic nature and variety of symptoms between as well as in individual cases hinder correct diagnosis. Since epileptic discharges may be visible on EEG only during an epileptic fit—and may need highly specialized equipment to detect—many cases are undiagnosed or treated under false diagnoses. The author believes that undetected temporal lobe epilepsy falsely labelled as psychiatric disorders are common. Specific and effective treatment exists for temporal lobe epilepsy, making correct diagnosis important. This history—based on the author's personal experience—also illustrates aspects of the physician-patients' problems and resources, as well as the gap between somatic and psychiatric medicine concerning this rather common neuropsychiatric disorder. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-456ce3b770e24269803fa634d050e014 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-9627 1687-9635 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2010-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Case Reports in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-456ce3b770e24269803fa634d050e0142025-02-03T05:47:59ZengWileyCase Reports in Medicine1687-96271687-96352010-01-01201010.1155/2010/565980565980When a Doctor Becomes a Patient with a Mystery Illness: A Case ReportBrit Haver0Department of Clinical Medicine, Section for Psychiatry, University of Bergen, PB 23, Sandviken, 5812 Bergen, NorwaySymptoms presenting as mental disorders may represent epileptic discharges, especially from the temporal lobe. Both mental and somatic symptoms are common in temporal lobe epilepsy, which may confuse doctors, leading to extensive medical examinations and tests, false diagnoses, and ineffective treatment. Also, the episodic nature and variety of symptoms between as well as in individual cases hinder correct diagnosis. Since epileptic discharges may be visible on EEG only during an epileptic fit—and may need highly specialized equipment to detect—many cases are undiagnosed or treated under false diagnoses. The author believes that undetected temporal lobe epilepsy falsely labelled as psychiatric disorders are common. Specific and effective treatment exists for temporal lobe epilepsy, making correct diagnosis important. This history—based on the author's personal experience—also illustrates aspects of the physician-patients' problems and resources, as well as the gap between somatic and psychiatric medicine concerning this rather common neuropsychiatric disorder.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2010/565980 |
| spellingShingle | Brit Haver When a Doctor Becomes a Patient with a Mystery Illness: A Case Report Case Reports in Medicine |
| title | When a Doctor Becomes a Patient with a Mystery Illness: A Case Report |
| title_full | When a Doctor Becomes a Patient with a Mystery Illness: A Case Report |
| title_fullStr | When a Doctor Becomes a Patient with a Mystery Illness: A Case Report |
| title_full_unstemmed | When a Doctor Becomes a Patient with a Mystery Illness: A Case Report |
| title_short | When a Doctor Becomes a Patient with a Mystery Illness: A Case Report |
| title_sort | when a doctor becomes a patient with a mystery illness a case report |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2010/565980 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brithaver whenadoctorbecomesapatientwithamysteryillnessacasereport |