Understanding Petit Mal Status: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

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Petit Mal Status

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

Additional names

This group contains additional names: - Absence seizures

General

Absence Epilepsy, or petit Mal Status, is a type of epilepsy that consists of very short seizures with almost unnoticeable symptoms. These seizures last less than 20 seconds and while having it, it seems as if the person is having a daydream. It is most common in children between the ages of 4-12 but can also happen in adults. During an absence seizure, the brain gets repeated electrical signals. There is a genetic contribution in absence, probably linked to mutations in ion channels.

312 people with Petit Mal Status are on Alike.

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Signs & symptoms

Symptoms include staring, smacking the lips together, fluttering eyelids, stop speaking in the middle of a sentence, leaning forward or backward, and making sudden hand movements.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is based upon findings from medical history and physical examination. Further evaluation may include EEG which records brain electrical activity and imaging of the brain such as CT scan or MRI.

Treatment

Treatment includes anticonvulsant medications.

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

National Institutes of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ MedlinePluse ∙ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

☝ All information has been reviewed by certified physicians from Alike

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