Rolandic discharges in benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, and in other forms of partial epilepsies.
Previous reports concerning benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECT) were re-investigated, including new data concerning both the presentation of the long-term clinical courses of three cases and the results of magnetoencephalography (MEG) in one patient, with respect to the following points; (1) the electro-clinical characteristics of sylvian seizures and rolandic discharges (RD), and (2) long-term outcome of idiopathic and symptomatic partial epilepsies with RD other than BECT. The epileptic focus of sylvian seizures is located either in the inferior rolandic cortex or underneath the sylvian fissure, which is strongly supported by the results of clinical seizure manifestations, ictal and interictal EEG findings, and interictal MEG findings. The presence of rolandic discharges is not a hallmark of benign outcome. Instead, the presence of sylvian seizures heralds a benign outcome of partial epilepsy regardless of the presence or absence of an organic lesion. The pathophysiological mechanism of BECT remains unknown. Further neurophysiological as well as genetic investigations are needed.
National Epilepsy Center, Shizuoka Higashi Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan 886, Urushiyama, Shizuoka City, Japan (MZ 420-8688). shizuoka@szec.hosp.go.jp
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000503:physiopathology; D019305:Epilepsy, Rolandic / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male