Introduction: We describe the case of a young woman with an unusual, and somewhat delayed, explanation for her reading difficulty.

Case: In her late teen years, a young woman presented with sensory seizures and was found to have a right parietal focus for these. She had reading difficulty all her life, which had been diagnosed in childhood as dyslexia. On detailed consideration of the history, the young woman described palinopsia dating from childhood. This particularly affected reading where intermittently, words and letters from previous view would superimpose on the immediate visual attention. This symptom, along with the reading difficulties, responded to anticonvulsant treatment.

Discussion: Palinopsia is a rare but dramatic symptom which may be responsible for many otherwordly experiences described over the ages. Mechanisms for palinopsia are reviewed in relation to the case described. Seizure disorders often contribute to learning and language difficulties if seizure control is not attained.

Conclusion: Palinopsia very rarely, but importantly, can be mistaken for dyslexia. Its inclusion in the differential diagnosis for reading difficulty could prevent both delays in provision of appropriate anticonvulsant treatment, and missed academic potential.