Our cases of secondary narcolepsy with three different etiology: Review of the literature

Abstract

Narcolepsy is neurological disorder classified among central hypersomnolences group and characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, associated symptoms like hypnogogic/hypnopompic hallucinations and sleep paralysis. It is divided into two types on the basis of accompanying cataplexy. In the pathophysiology of this disorder, which is accused an autoimmune process, hypocretin deficiency in the hypothalamus was shown. Narcolepsy is often seen as a primary disease in young population but may also occur with other disorders like cerebrovascular diseases, intracranial tumors, encephalitis, sarcoidosis, multiple sclerosis or after head trauma, infections, and vaccines; in which the disease is accepted as secondary narcolepsy. In this case report, patients presenting with excessive daytime sleepiness and diagnosed as having secondary narcolepsy due to medical causes, and who have Parkinson's disease (PD), history of interferon use and hypothalamic involvement associated with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) were reported. Daytime sleepiness complaints should be well questioned in organic pathologies related with hypothalamus-pituitary system such as PD and similar diseases or in patients with history of drug use and secondary narcolepsy should be beared in mind.