petit mal
Noun: 1. A type of epileptic seizure of short duration, characterized by a very brief lapse of consciousness (a "momentary absence"), often accompanied by subtle muscle movements such as eye blinking or small twitches. The person typically resumes normal activity immediately afterward with no memory of the episode. 2. A form of epilepsy (specifically, a type of generalized epilepsy) characterized by the repeated occurrence of these brief absence seizures. This condition is now more formally known as absence epilepsy.
The term is used in medical contexts to describe both an individual seizure event and the neurological condition. * As a countable noun for a single seizure: The child experienced a petit mal during class. * As an uncountable noun for the condition: She was diagnosed with petit mal.
- The electroencephalogram (EEG) showed the classic spike-and-wave pattern associated with petit mal.
- His petit mal episodes were so brief they were often mistaken for daydreaming.
- Medication successfully controlled her petit mal.
- Petit mal is a French term meaning "little illness," contrasting with grand mal ("great illness"), which refers to seizures involving convulsions.
- In contemporary medical terminology, absence seizure is the preferred term for the seizure type, and absence epilepsy is the preferred term for the condition. Petit mal remains a widely recognized and used synonym.
- Absence seizure (n.): The modern clinical term for a petit mal seizure.
- Absence epilepsy (n.): The modern clinical term for the condition characterized by petit mal seizures.
- Grand mal (n.): A historical term for a tonic-clonic seizure, involving loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions.
- Absence seizure
- Minor epileptic seizure (historical/less precise)
The term specifically refers to a seizure with an altered state of consciousness as its primary feature, not a convulsive event. It is distinct from focal seizures that may involve twitching without impaired awareness.
- a seizure of short duration characterized by momentary unconsciousness and local muscle spasms or twitching
- the girl was frightened by her first petit mal
- epilepsy characterized by paroxysmal attacks of brief clouding of consciousness (and possibly other abnormalities)
- she has been suffering from petit mal since childhood