title: A review on the management of epilepsy associated with hypothalamic hamartomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypothalamic hamartomas are rare congenital malformations located in the region of the tuber cinereum and third ventricle. Patients may be asymptomatic, but the usual presentation is gelastic seizures, precocious puberty, and/or developmental delay.
  
  
  METHODS
  Without surgical intervention, the gelastic seizures, which are typically present in childhood, may progress to other seizure types, including generalized epilepsy, and are generally refractory to antiepileptic drugs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review will discuss the clinical and electrophysiologic aspects of these lesions, as well as treatment options, including surgery, endoscopy, and radiosurgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Meyer 8-161, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. jfrazier@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Frazier
authors.forename: C Rory
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Goodwin
authors.forename: Edward S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: George I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Jallo
mesh_terms: D001519:Behavior; D001918:Brachytherapy; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications; D004724:Endoscopy; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006222:Hamartoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007027:Hypothalamic Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000379:methods; D016634:Radiosurgery; D012640:Seizures / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D055536:Vagus Nerve Stimulation