Xiaofen (not her real name), who was just five months old, often laughed suddenly when she fell asleep at night. At first, her parents didn't pay much attention to her. It was only six years later that Xiaofen began to take her everywhere to seek medical advice when she developed limb twitching symptoms. Doctors at Fuzhou General Hospital of Nanjing Military Region found out that Xiaofen was due to abnormal discharge caused by heterotopic gray matter, which led to smirk seizures. After surgical treatment, Xiaofen has recovered well.

Not long ago, the neurosurgery department of Fuzhou General Hospital of Nanjing Military Region received a rare patient, Xiaofen, a Changle native, who was more than 6 years old. About five months after Xiaofen was born, her parents accidentally found that she would give out two or three bursts of laughter when she slept soundly at night. Each attack was in sleep, and the symptoms would automatically relieve after about one minute.

The parents didn't take it to heart. Until one late night in July last year, Xiaofen suddenly had limb twitching symptoms while sleeping. Her upper limbs straightened, lower limbs flexed, and her eyes turned up for more than 20 minutes.

Xiaofen's family rushed to take her to the hospital. When seeking medical treatment in Fuzhou General Hospital of Nanjing Military Region, the doctor learned that Xiaofen's mother had taken medicine in the middle of pregnancy. Family members suspect that Xiaofen's illness may be related to her mother's medication.

After the magnetic resonance skull examination, the doctor diagnosed Xiaofen with hypothalamic hamartoma and giggle like epilepsy.

Jing Junjie, a neurosurgeon in the hospital, said that the abnormal discharge caused by heterotopic gray matter in the brain of the child led to smirk seizures.

The hospital organized key doctors to perform craniotomy under general anesthesia and remove hypothalamic hamartoma. At present, the surgical wound of the child is well healed, the muscle strength and tension of the limbs are normal, and the growth and development, intelligence are gradually improving. (Reporter Li Qiong Correspondent Ding Xinshuan Zhu Xiumei)