Perdita di coscienza transitoria: Crisi epilettica o episodio sincopale? Elementi diagnostici ed aspetti fisiopatologici

Syncope is a relatively frequent symptom, and its evaluation is an important aspect of medical practice. Syncope has been reported to account for about 6% of general hospital admissions. The vasovagal faint is believed to be the most common cause of syncope, especially if there is no evidence of underlying structural cardiac or cardiovascular disease. Differentiating convulsive syncope from epilepsy in patients with recurrent unexplained loss of consciousness with associated tonic-clonic activity in the setting of repeated normal electroencephalographic findings may need extensive investigations. The importance of identifying susceptibility to vasovagal reactions in patients with syncope is evident given the frequency with which vasovagal syncope appears to be responsible for patient symptoms.