Doctor confident that Gugliotta's seizure was isolated incident

The Phoenix Suns team doctor believes that the seizure forward Tom Gugliotta suffered after Friday night's game in Portland almost certainly was an isolated incident that likely won't reoccur.

The Phoenix Suns team doctor believes that the seizure forward Tom Gugliotta suffered after Friday night's game in Portland almost certainly was an isolated incident that likely won't reoccur.

"I feel very confident that we're going to be OK with this," Dr Richard Emerson said before the Suns played the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night. "The statistics vary, but approximately 60 to 70 percent of single, isolated cases remain isolated. ... I feel very confident that this is a single, isolated incident."

Gugliotta remained at home on Monday but could return to the team in time for its home game on Sunday night against Golden State.

In the meantime, a series of tests are planned to further try to determine what caused the seizure.

"Basically these are stress types of tests to evaluate the cardiovascular system and some of these other, lesser, more rare causes of syndromes that can lower what's known as the seizure threshold level," Emerson said.

Gugliotta was on the team bus in the loading bay of the Rose Garden, talking with his wife on a cell phone, when the seizure occurred.

Gugliotta was treated Sunday for a leakage of dye from a spinal tap that had been performed in a Portland, Oregon, hospital. The leakage caused what's known as a spinal tap headache that has since subsided, Emerson said.

The spinal tap, an EKG test and a CAT scan performed in Portland all showed no sign of any problem.

Even if the seizure is determined to have a chance to reoccur, the condition could be treated with medication, Emerson said.

Gugliotta has no history of seizures or other serious health problems. Several factors could have made him more susceptible, Emerson said.