**Acknowledgements**

sweating, piloerection, pupil dilatation) indicate specific localization and

Gastrointestinal disease should be ruled out at first. The detail of history as recurrent paroxysmal episodes of gastrointestinal symptoms is needed for the diagnosis of abdominal epilepsy. The duration of symptoms is usually within a few minutes. It is important to distinguish abdominal epilepsy itself from abdominal auras preceding to other major seizure manifestations of temporal or parieto-

On the contrary, information of subjective findings related to epileptic auras should be carefully obtained. Especially, epigastric rising sensation, déjà vu, jamais vu, olfactory sensation, and sudden emergence of certain memory are related to temporal lobe epilepsy. When gastrointestinal symptoms and signs are the sole seizure manifestation, nonepileptic disease could be included in the differential diagnosis since gastrointestinal signs may often be wrongly diagnosed. Ictal autonomic symptoms are most often associated with epileptiform discharges in limbic

There has been no controlled trial that provides evidence-based medication on treatment of abdominal epilepsy so far. Treatment is the same as other types of epilepsy, and antiepileptic drug is usually used. Epileptic seizures of abdominal epilepsy are recognized as one of the partial seizures; therefore, carbamazepine or phenytoin is selected as the first line in medication. If the first drug is not effective enough, the certain drug would be increased to the maximum tolerable dose, or other types of medication can be added on, based on the patient's response.

The prognosis of abdominal epilepsy is generally good. In most patients, antiepileptic drug is effective, and only antiepileptic medication brings relief in gastrointestinal symptoms. In cases who are drug-resistant to single medication, polytherapy is needed by using a couple of antiepileptic drugs in combination. Other kinds of autonomic signs and symptoms, and seizure manifestations other than autonomic features, might also reflect a reaction to the occurrence of epileptic seizures [23]. Therefore, it is necessary to check subjective/objective findings by thorough medical history taking and to schedule follow-up examinations including

Patients with focal epilepsy often exhibit a variety of autonomic symptoms including abdominal sensations as auras (simple partial seizures, or focal seizures with retained awareness). When gastrointestinal complaints, usually abdominal pain and nausea, are the most prominent manifestation of epileptic seizures, they are called as abdominal epilepsy. Abdominal epilepsy should be suspected as one of

lateralization of the seizure-onset zone [21–24].

*Perspective of Recent Advances in Acute Diarrhea*

portions of the temporal and frontal lobes on EEG [25].

**7. Diagnosis**

occipital epilepsies [23].

**8. Treatment**

**9. Prognosis**

EEG evaluation.

**10. Conclusions**

**92**

No funding for this paper.
