title: Selection criteria and preoperative investigation of patients with focal epilepsy who lack a localized structural lesion.
abstract: Children with medically resistant epilepsy are often referred for surgical evaluation. The absence of a specific focal lesion on MRI may render the work-up difficult. In response to the need to localize the primary area of epileptogenesis, surgery protocols are being developed which rely on clinical semiology, EEG and functional imaging data. In selected cases, intracranial EEG monitoring may be required. While testing more often depends on the convergence of modalities, it is possible to localize seizure origin in the majority of children, and fully excise the epileptogenic region. This review presents the etiology and preoperative modalities available for children with intractable, non-lesional epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Miami Children's Hospital, 3200 SW 60th Court, Miami, Florida 33155, USA. michael.duchowny@mch.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duchowny
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jayakar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koh
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D018579:Patient Selection; D011300:Preoperative Care; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon