title: [The utility of interictal SPECT in temporal lobe epilepsy].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interictal brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is used in the presurgical evaluation of patients with complex partial epilepsy. The aim of the present study was to compare interictal SPECT, MRI and video-electroencephalography (EEG) for seizure focus localization in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, one year after temporal lobectomy, in order to determine the utility of interictal brain SPECT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty four consecutive patients with refractory temporal epilepsy were evaluated with video-EEG, MRI and interictal SPECT for seizure focus localization before surgery. Seizure focus was confirmed with the clinical follow-up one year after temporal lobectomy in all patients. MRI and SPECT analysis was performed visually.
  
  
  RESULTS
  31/34 patients were seizure free one year after surgery and the remaining 3 patients remain with seizures occasionally. Video-EEG results coincided with postsurgical seizure focus localization in 31 (91%) patients. MRI localized seizure focus correctly in 30 (88%) patients and was normal in 3 cases. Interictal brain SPECT was normal in 10 patients and showed temporal hypoperfusion consistent with postsurgical seizure focus in 23 (68%) patients. In all patients with abnormalities in the interictal SPECT, seizure focus was identified with video-EEG or MRI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When MRI and video-EEG localize seizure focus in the same temporal lobe, interictal brain SPECT does not offer any additional information for surgical decision making.
authors.affiliation: Servicios de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Clinic i Provincial, Barcelona. setoain@clinic.ub.es
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Setoain
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carreno
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bargallo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rumia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donaire
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuster
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paredes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ortín
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pons
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon