Temporal lobe epilepsy in children: electroclinical study of 77 cases.
OBJECTIVE
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is probably more difficult to recognize in children than in adults. In fact, ictal symptoms in children are less stereotyped and less obvious, and the neuropathological substrate is more heterogeneous than in adults. The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between etiology, age at onset and electroclinical findings in 77 children with TLE, 32 of whom were surgically treated.


METHODS
Electroclinical study including video-EEG recording of seizures in 77 children with TLE. The investigation focused on the first five initial ictal symptoms.


RESULTS
Age at onset was less than 3 years in 39 cases, between 3 and 6 years in 17 cases and older than 6 years in 21 cases. Auras also occurred in younger children but were more common after the age of 6 years. A peculiar initial ictal semiology consisted in staring with arrest, lip cyanosis, and very slight oral automatisms. In some cases, EEG recordings documented seizures starting independently on both temporal lobes. Based on electroclinical and neuroradiological features, we recognized three subgroups: symptomatic TLE due to cortical malformations or nonevolutive tumors, TLE with mesial temporal sclerosis, and cryptogenic TLE.


CONCLUSIONS
A correct electroclinical and neuroradiological approach allows in several cases early recognition of TLE even when onset is earlier than the age of 6 years. A correct definition of the localization relies primarily on video-EEG recording of the seizures, possibly repeated during follow up in cases lacking obvious neuroradiological correlation.
Fontana
Elena
E
Unit of Child Neuropsychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Negrini
Francesca
F
Francione
Stefano
S
Mai
Roberto
R
Osanni
Elisa
E
Menna
Elisa
E
Offredi
Francesca
F
Darra
Francesca
F
Bernardina
Bernardo Dalla
BD
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D001332:Automatism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D020820:Dyskinesias / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D012598:Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014743:Videotape Recording