A clinical study of convulsive syncope.

An analysis of the clinical features of patients having evidence of a syncopal onset to convulsive episodes is reported. The range of convulsive phenomena was quite wide and did not appear to differentiate the syndrome from primary epilepsy in terms of seizure morphology, occurrence of incontinence or pattern of post-ictal recovery. It is therefore suggested that the premonitory and precipitating features are more specific in the diagnosis of convulsive syncope. Skin pallor was often reported during attacks. Although EEG abnormalities were seen in some cases, the follow-up results indicate a low incidence of unprovoked convulsions in patients with this condition without anticonvulsant treatment.