RESUMO
Introduction : Epilepsy is a common disease, some patients have only symptoms during sleep. The patient thinks this condition is sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome (SUNDS)Objective : To study characteristics of patients with nocturnal epilepsy (NE), and compared clinical features between NE and Sunds.Patients : Patients were diagnosed as NE.Setting : Department of Medicine,Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University.Design : Descriptive study.Results : Five cases were diagnosed of NE, 3 male and 2 female. Mean age was 38 years old. All patients denied family history of epilepsy. Duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 19.8 months. Types of seizures were generalized seizure in 4 cases and complex partial seizure in 1 cases. CT-scan brain was done in 4 cases and the results were normal. Electroencephalography was done in 3 cases and the results showed epileptic activity at right frontoparietal in only one case. All patients had clinically improved with antiepileptic drugs.Conclusion : NE was found in both sex and all age groups. The patient denied family history of epilepsy. NE had no cyanosis during attack. These characteristics were different from SUNDS.