title: False lateralization of temporal lobe epilepsy with FDG positron emission tomography.
abstract: We report 2 patients in whom visual interpretation of interictal positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) suggested false lateralization of an epileptic focus. PET scans were interpreted as showing diffuse left temporal lobe hypometabolism in 1 patient and lateral temporal hypometabolism in the other. However, seizures began in the right mesial temporal lobe in both patients, and both responded favorably to right temporal lobectomy. In 1 patient, the intracranial EEG showed continuous asymptomatic subclinical seizure activity emanating from the right amygdala. These limbic discharges probably caused unrecognized right temporal lobe hypermetabolism. In the other case, quantitative analysis of metabolic rates showed conflicting mesial and lateral metabolic indexes. Frequent mesial interictal discharges might have increased lateral temporal metabolism. We conclude that asymptomatic epileptiform activity may alter temporal lobe metabolism and that quantitative PET analysis helps clarify contradictory visual PET interpretations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sperling
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alavi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reivich
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: French
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: O'Connor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes / Q000378:metabolism; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D005947:Glucose