J Korean Child Neurol Soc.  2018 Mar;26(1):62-65. 10.26815/jkcns.2018.26.1.62.

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome in a Child with an Electroencephalographic Abnormality: A Case Report

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Changwon Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Changwon, Korea.
  • 2Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Severance Children's Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. hipo0207@yuhs.ac

Abstract

Alice in wonderland syndrome (AWS) is a paroxysmal disorder with distorted body image, including altered perceptions of size, mass, or shape. In fact, altered body image is the classic symptom of AWS. However, young children and adolescents younger than 15 years with AWS usually show visual symptoms, including micropsia or teleopsia. The most common visual symptom with AWS is micropsia. There are several theories of the etiology of AWS, the most popular of which is migraine. The second most frequently mentioned etiologic theory of AWS is that it is infection-induced. Finally, abnormal brain electrical activity, such as epilepsy, is another possible cause of AWS. We herein report a case of 9-year-old boy who was admitted with visual disturbances characterized by microteleopsia and pelopsia. He denied headache, but his mother had a history of migraine. His general physical examination was unremarkable. Brain magnetic resonance imaging did not show any abnormal findings, but an electroencephalogram showed abnormal discharges. The patient was prescribed an antiepileptic drug, which improved his symptoms.

Keyword

Alice in Wonderland syndrome; Electroencephalogram; Migraine

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome*
Body Image
Brain
Child*
Electroencephalography
Epilepsy
Headache
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Migraine Disorders
Mothers
Physical Examination
Vision Disorders
Full Text Links
  • JKCNS
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr