Periventricular nodular and subcortical neuronal heterotopia in adult epileptic patients.
Developmental malformations are brain abnormalities that occur during embryogenesis. Neuronal migration disorders, including heterotopic lesions, constitute one type of such abnormalities. The aim of the study was to compare the epileptic clinical patterns of patients with periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH) (G1) with those affected by subcortical heterotopia (SCH) (G2) looking for differences between both groups which, eventually, might suggest the type of the underlying malformation. The variables studied in both groups were: type of the heterotopia depicted on MRI studies, sex, age, age at seizure onset, annual seizure frequency, localization of the ictal symptomatogenic zone, characteristics of the EEG, other associated anomalies on the magnetic resonance images (MRI) besides the heterotopia, and response to treatment. The only difference found between both groups was the type of heterotopia as shown by MRI studies. The other assessed variables did not significantly (p>0.05) differ between groups. No differences in the clinical features characterizing epilepsy could be found in patients with PNH or SCH, being the images the only tool able to differentiate them.
Consalvo
Damian E
DE
Centro de Referencia de Epilepsia, División de Neurología, Hospital J. M. Ramos Mejía Urquiza 609, 1221 Buenos Aires, Argentina. dconsalvo@fibertel.com.ar
Kochen
Silvia S
SS
Alurralde
Agustin
A
Centurion
Estela
E
Salgado
Pablo A
PA
Saidon
Patricia
P
Sica
Roberto E P
RE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002828:Choristoma / Q000473:pathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D017678:Sex Distribution