Medically refractory epilepsy associated with temporal lobe ganglioglioma: characteristics and postoperative outcome.
OBJECTIVE
To define the postoperative seizure outcome and its predictors in patients with ganglioglioma-related temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).


METHODS
We reviewed the pre- and post-surgical evaluation data of 23 patients with temporal lobe ganglioglioma, who had completed >or=1 year of postoperative follow-up. They comprised 4.9% of the patients with TLE and 67.6% of the tumoral TLE operated in a developing country epilepsy center during an 8-year period.


RESULTS
Median age at surgery was 20 years; median duration of epilepsy prior to surgery was 9 years. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed tumor in mesial temporal location in 18 patients (78.3%) and in the lateral location in 2; in the remaining 3, involved both mesial and lateral regions. EEG abnormalities were localized to the side of lesion in the majority. Mesial temporal lobe structures were included in the resection, if they were involved by the tumor; otherwise, lesionectomy alone was performed. During a median follow-up of 4 years, 19 (82.6%) patients were completely seizure-free. Epileptiform abnormalities persisting in the 1-year postoperative EEG predicted unfavorable seizure outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
We emphasize that, in patients with temporal lobe ganglioglioma, when the seizures are medically refractory, surgery offers potential for cure of epilepsy in the majority.
Radhakrishnan
Ashalatha
A
R. Madhavan Nayar Center for Comprehensive Epilepsy Care, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum 695 011, Kerala, India.
Abraham
Mathew
M
Radhakrishnan
Venkataraman V
VV
Sarma
Sankara P
SP
Radhakrishnan
Kurupath
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D018303:Ganglioglioma / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000927:Anticonvulsants