title: Left thalamomegaly in a patient with partial epilepsy.
abstract: 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.
authors: Department of Neurosciences, Catholic University, Rome, Italy. dellamarca@rm.unicatt.it
authors: Giacomo
authors: G
authors: Della Marca
authors: Catello
authors: C
authors: Vollono
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: Ferraro
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Mariotti
authors: Marianna
authors: M
authors: Mazza
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: Ferini-Strambi
authors: Salvatore
authors: S
authors: Mazza
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18