Epileptic aphasia and dysphoria interpreted as endogenous depression

A case is reported of a 29-yr-old female with attacks of aphasia/ dysphasia over a period of several months which lasted days to weeks accompanied by a dysphoric state. The patient was for long regarded as endogenous depressive with a hysterical speech disorder. However, the diagnosis of epilepsy was finally made based on generalized attacks, appropriate EEG changes, and the response to anti-epileptic therapy.