Left thalamomegaly in a patient with partial epilepsy.
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is associated with modification in thalamic structure and function. In particular, thalamic atrophy and hypometabolism can occur, affecting ipsilateral, contralateral thalami or both. We describe a 28-year-old epileptic woman, who presented peculiar neuroimaging findings, with enlargement of the thalamus contralateral to the epileptic focus. The patient was born from dystocic delivery, she presented partial motor seizures in the left side of the body, followed by generalisation, and the EEG showed a right temporal epileptic focus. Serial CT and MRI scan, performed along 11 years, showed a non-evolutive left thalamomegaly. 18-FDG PET showed reduced metabolic activity in the upper right temporal gyrus and in the ipsilateral thalamus. Thalamic asymmetry in our patient could be an occasional finding.
Della Marca
Giacomo
G
Department of Neurosciences, Catholic University, Rome, Italy. dellamarca@rm.unicatt.it
Vollono
Catello
C
Ferraro
Diana
D
Mariotti
Paolo
P
Mazza
Marianna
M
Ferini-Strambi
Luigi
L
Mazza
Salvatore
S
D000328:Adult; D014695:Cerebral Ventriculography; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013786:Thalamic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18