Brain tumour caused uncontrollable laughter
The tumour found in the girl's brain. (ecancermedicalscience) ecancermedicalscience
A six-year-old girl's tendency to laugh uncontrollably at inappropriate times was because of a brain tumour, doctors in Bolivia have discovered.
The child was suffering gelastic seizures which made her giggle for no reason, doctors wrote in a case report published in ecancermedicalscience on June 16.
"She was considered spoiled, crazy — even devil-possessed," Dr Jos Liders Burgos Zuleta said.
But a brain scan revealed the unnamed girl had a hamartoma, a small benign tumour pressing against her temporal lobe.
US neurologist Solomon Mosh told LiveScience that despite the laughter, the girl may not have felt joy.
"It's not necessarily 'hahaha' laughing," Dr Mosh was quoted as saying.
"There's no happiness in this. Some of the kids may be very scared.
After the tumour was surgically removed, doctors now say the girl only laughs when it is appropriate.
Author: Nick Pearson. Approving editor: Emma Chamberlain
Sources: ecancermedicalscience, LiveScience
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