title: Mutism in 36 patients who underwent callosotomy for drug-resistant epilepsy.
abstract: Thirty-six drug-resistant epileptic patients submitted to callosotomy were studied. Anterior callosotomy was performed in 27 patients, total two-stage callosotomy was performed in 8 patients and 1 patient had only posterior callosotomy. We found mutism in 10 patients (2 after complete callosotomy and 8 after anterior section). The patients did not speak, but the comprehension was present: they were able to carry out orders and to write. Their attitude to the environment was characterized by complete indifference. The mutism was always transient, lasting from 4 to 25 days (mean 7 days). Regression of mutism was always complete. We think that this complication should be chiefly attributed mainly to surgical manipulation, even if it is impossible to completely exclude a multi-factorial etiology.
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Centre, Regional Hospital, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quattrini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Pesce
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Provinciali
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cesarano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ortenzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paggi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rychlicki
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fioravanti
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Papo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000601:surgery*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009155:Mutism / Q000209:etiology*; D011379:Prognosis