Alsyncope és álgörcsroham: Pseudosyncope and pseudoseizure

Syncope is a frequent complaint which imposes a considerable burden on the health care systems. Although our diagnostic tools have improved during the last decades, the exact cause of syncope still remains unknown in a small fraction of cases. In the heterogenous group of "syncope with unknown origin" there are a few cases of pseudosyncope. Unlike the true episodes of syncope, the episodes of pseudosyncope are not associated with compromised cerebral circulation. The pseudosyncope in reality is a manifestation of conversion disorder, and as such shares many features with pseudoseizure. The latter is also characterized by the lack of typical neurological and EEG manifestations at the time of attacks. We present a case of a 57-year-old female with a 30 year history of attacks corresponding either to pseudosyncope or pseudoseizure. A brief overview of literature of pseudosyncope is also given, and the importance of an interdisciplinary diagnostic approach is emphasized.