In a bizarre incident, a 9-year-old girl suffered epileptic seizures after the application of Mehndi (Henna) on her hands. The unusual case was reported by the Department of Neurology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi.
According to the doctors, the child suffered her first convulsion after the Mehndi application. She had an abrupt loss of consciousness leading to fall and convulsions for 20 seconds. The child suffered two similar seizures after application of Mehndi a year later. After the repeated incidents, the girl was brought to the hospital for further checkup.
“This was an unusual case of Reflex Epilepsy, where epileptic seizures are consistently induced by identifiable and objective–specific triggers as against other epileptic seizures which are usually unprovoked. In our reported case, seizures were consistently induced by the application of mehndi,” Dr (Col) P.K. Sethi, Senior Consultant, Department of Neurology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said.
In the hospital, mehndi which has a very distinctive earthy smell was applied to the right hand of the patient. The doctors found that as soon as the mehndi applied hand was brought near the chest of the patient, she started having seizures.
“The girl came to for her epileptic seizures. During the examination, we found that whenever she applies mehendi or goes to places where the smell of henna is prominent, she gets fits. Then we diagnosed her with Reflex Epilepsy. This is a one-of-a-kind case ever reported. Her convulsions due to the smell of henna were so severe that she peed as well,” Dr. Sethi told Financial Express.com.
Dr. Sethi also told Financial Express.com that reflex epilepsy is triggered by external stimuli, internal mental processes, or both.
“We have even seen cases by epilepsies triggered by reading or eating or bathing with hot water. But I saw for the first time an epilepsy triggered by the smell of henna,” he added.
Video- electroencephalography revealed an organised background with a posterior rhythm of 9 Hz. The patient became restless which were followed by seizures. the doctor explained.
“In our patient seizures were not triggered by mere application of mehndi on hands and feet rather it was the fragrance which acted as the stimulus leading to stimulation of functional anatomic networks,” Dr Sethi further added.
The patient was prescribed Sodium valproate and parents were advised to avoid exposure to Mehndi. The patient is stable now with no reported case of seizure now, Dr Sethi told Financial Express.com.
This case study has been published on 23 January 2023 in the latest edition of Clinical Neurophysiology.