Ictal Hypersalivation and Salivary Gland Enlargement in a Patient With Acquired Frontal Lobe Epilepsy

Ictal hypersalivation as a prominent symptom in a girl with insulo-opercular epilepsy

Introduction

Hypersalivation has been associated with Rolandic epilepsy and other childhood epilepsy syndromes. However, pure salivatory seizures are a rare type of focal seizure in which ictal hypersalivation is the dominant feature throughout the seizures.

Case presentation

We present a case of pure salivatory seizures originating from the right post-central operculum cortex, confirmed by the favorable surgical outcome. We attempt to analyze the symptom from behavioral and neural network perspectives and propose a possible mechanism to generate ictal hypersalivation and pure salivatory seizures.

Conclusion

Based on previous reports in the literature and our case, we emphasize the importance of the operculum in patients with ictal hypersalivation, particularly in patients with pure salivatory seizures.