Published online Jun 28, 2014. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v6.i6.388
Revised: April 14, 2014
Accepted: May 8, 2014
Published online: June 28, 2014
Seizures are one of the most common pediatric neurologic disorders. Many complications secondary to seizures have been described in the literature including head trauma, fractures, drowning and burns. However, to the best of our knowledge, rupture of the myotendinous insertion of the temporalis muscle on the mandible secondary to a seizure has never been described in the literature. We report the case of a unilateral temporalis muscle rupture in a 16-year-old boy who developed unilateral facial swelling following new onset tonic-clonic seizures. We emphasize on the computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings in this case report. Two mechanisms have been proposed to explain such an injury. The favored mechanism in our patient is a pull on the temporalis myotendinous insertion on the mandible following vigorous and brisk deviation of the head and neck during seizure. Radiologists should be familiar with this type of injury following seizures in order to prevent misdiagnosis and subsequently mistreatment.
Core tip: We report the unique case of a unilateral temporalis muscle rupture following new onset tonic-clonic seizures in a 16-year-old boy. The favored mechanism in our patient is a pull on the temporalis myotendinous insertion on the mandible following vigorous and brisk deviation of the head and neck during seizure. Although this is a rare entity, it is important to be familiar with such type of injury in a patient who develops unilateral facial swelling and pain following tonic-clonic seizures in order to prevent misdiagnosis and mistreatment.