Intractable temporal lobe epilepsy: comparison of positron emission tomography with qualitative and quantitative MR.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the ability of qualitative fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography (QPET), qualitative MR imaging (QMR), and quantitative MR imaging with hippocampal formation volumetric assessment (HV MR) to lateralize the seizure focus in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.


METHODS
Sixteen consecutive patients undergoing presurgical examination for temporal lobe seizures had QPET, QMR, and HV MR. The presence of temporal lobe epilepsy was confirmed by Engel class I or II outcomes at 1-year postoperative follow-up examinations. A QPET, QMR, or HV MR study was considered to be lateralizing if it matched the side of the seizure focus, nonlateralizing if it did not lateralize the seizure focus to either temporal lobe, or incorrectly lateralizing if it lateralized the seizure focus to the incorrect side.


RESULTS
Of 16 patients with proved temporal lobe seizures, QPET was correctly lateralizing in nine (56%), nonlateralizing in six (37.5%), and incorrectly lateralizing in one (6%). QMR was correctly lateralizing in six (37.5%), nonlateralizing in six (37.5%), and incorrectly lateralizing in four (25%). HV MR was correctly lateralizing in all 16 patients (100%). Age at onset, seizure duration, and total number of seizures did not correlate with QPET, QMR, and HV MR lateralization.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that each imaging technique yields useful information for seizure lateralization in temporal lobe epilepsy and that HV MR yields considerably more information that QPET or QMR.
Helveston
W
W
Department of Neurology, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville 32610, USA.
Gilmore
R
R
Roper
S
S
Mastin
S
S
Quisling
R
R
Drane
W
W
Eikman
E
E
Leonard
C
C
Browd
S
S
Childress
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose