The uncontrolled laughter was misunderstood as irrational behaviour, leading to punitive actions and embarrassment for the boy.
The boy's parents had noticed his unusual laughter when he was just a year old. (iStock)
Laughter is the best medicine, they say. But that was not the case with this 12-year-old boy in Kochi, who had been experiencing uncontrollable laughter episodes for most of his life.
The boy’s parents noticed his unusual laughter when he was just a year old. He also had epileptic seizures.
The uncontrolled laughter was often misunderstood by peers and family as irrational behaviour, leading to punitive actions and further embarrassment for the child.
Moreover, he had poor school attendance and poor academic performance, was a victim of social stigma, and faced embarrassment from his unpredictable seizures. His future looked bleak.
That’s when his parents decided that it was time to see a doctor about it. The boy was subsequently diagnosed with hypothalamic hamartoma.
Hypothalamic hamartoma location in the brain. (Wikimedia Commons)
A hypothalamic hamartoma is a benign (non-cancerous) tumour-like malformation that occurs in the hypothalamus, a small area at the base of the brain.
The condition is considered a developmental abnormality rather than a true tumour because the cells do not metastasise.
Hypothalamic hamartomas can vary in size and shape, and the symptoms they cause can vary as well.
Common symptoms include seizures, precocious puberty, gelastic seizures (sudden, uncontrollable bouts of laughter), cognitive impairment, and behavioural problems.
The condition is relatively rare and is diagnosed in childhood.
Thanks to advanced technology and the latest treatment protocols, doctors were able to use radiofrequency ablation to treat the boy’s epilepsy, bringing him new hope.
This surgery removes the tumour and improves the quality of life with minimal risk or side effects.
“Radiofrequency ablation is a revolutionary alternative to traditional open brain surgery for drug-resistant epilepsy,” said Dr Siby Gopinath, a neurologist and epilepsy specialist at Amrita Hospital in Kochi, in a statement.
Radiofrequency ablation is a ground-breaking surgery that does not require the surgeon to cut into the brain, but can still access tumours at the depth of the brain.
This precise targeting allows for the removal of the tumour without damaging surrounding healthy tissue, meaning that there are no sequelae like weakness, language loss, or other side effects.
“With radiofrequency ablation, children with hypothalamic hamartoma can finally have a chance to lead a normal life, free from epilepsy and the embarrassment of uncontrolled laughter,” Gopinath explained.
The procedure on this 12-year-old boy was shown live to participants at a recent four-day workshop on MRI-negative epilepsies, hosted by the Amrita Hospital in Kochi.
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