Epileptic seizures vs non-epileptic psychogenic seizures: When haematidrosis makes it possible to cut through

Abstract

Haematidrosis is a disorder of sweat secretion characterized by the presence of red blood cells, leukocytes and platelets in the sweat. Its potential triggering factors are the occurrence of an episode of intense emotional stress or the presence during a traumatic event. It can be associated with paroxysmal stereotypical clinical manifestations that can simulate epileptic seizures. We report the case of a young adolescent girl, followed for a long time for epileptic seizures, in whom the occurrence of haematidrosis in a context of intense family stress led to the diagnosis of non-epileptic psychogenic seizures.