title: Association of temporal lobe epilepsy and obsessive-compulsive disorder in a patient successfully treated with right temporal lobectomy.
abstract: A patient who developed obsessive-compulsive symptoms shortly after the onset of temporal lobe epilepsy exhibited almost complete remission after being rendered seizure-free by surgical intervention. These data support the hypothesis that temporal lobe epilepsy and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) share at least some pathophysiological components. The diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy was made by ictal video/EEG recordings, concordant with the presence of a lesion in the posterior region of the temporobasal neocortex. The OCD was diagnosed on the basis of DSM-IV-TR criteria through a clinical interview while the intensity of the OCD symptoms was assessed with the Yape-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Surgical intervention consisted of a complete lesionectomy in association with a right temporal lobectomy including both lateral and mesial structures. The patient had follow-up visits after 6 months and 1 year. At both times, the patient remained free of seizures and reported a progressive reduction in OCD symptomatology.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Branch, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Milan Medical School and San Paolo Hospital, Milan, Italy. vale.barbieri@tiscalinet.it
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lo Russo
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Francione
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scarone
authors.forename: Orsola
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gambini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D038481:Anterior Temporal Lobectomy / Q000379:methods*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome