title: [Drug-resistant focal epilepsy with normal cranial CT. Electroclinical correlation and magnetic resonance in 45 patients].
abstract: Forty-five patients between 15 and 60 years of age with pharmacoresistant focal epilepsy of more than 4 years duration with normal cranial CT were analyzed. Magnetic resonance and sleep EEG were performed. In 82% of the patients epilepsy had initiated prior to 20 years of age with 89% having partial complex crises and 75% also having secondary generalized crises. EEG demonstrated abnormalities in the temporal lobe in 78% of the cases. Activation of the abnormalities was observed during REM sleep in 24% of the patients. MR was pathologic in 38%, with the most frequent finding corresponding to a sole hyperintense T2 signal (76%). A good correlation was observed between the electroclinical findings and MR in 72% of the cases with pathologic MR. Most of these patients should, thus, be considered as candidates for surgical evaluation of their epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital General de Asturias, Oviedo.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salas-Puig
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lahoz
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mateos
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Guisasola
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tuñón
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed