Summary

A 29-year-old man, a known epileptic, presented to an accident and emergency department following a tonic–clonic seizure, suffering a second seizure in the department. Subsequently, he reported neck pain, swelling and stiffness. An otorhinolaryngology neck examination revealed a tender left side with two palpable masses and a reduced range of movement. Ultrasound confirmed a ruptured middle third of the left sternocleidomastoid muscle, which was successfully treated non-surgically with analgaesia and intensive physiotherapy. Uncommonly, sternocleidomastoid muscle rupture has been reported following high-velocity trauma, but to the best of our knowledge this is the first case described in the literature following an epileptic seizure.