Benign lesions accompanied by intractable epilepsy in children.
Epilepsy surgery has been proposed as a safe alternative treatment for intractable epilepsy in children, especially for patients with structural brain abnormalities. We studied 24 consecutive children who underwent surgery for intractable epilepsy. There were 12 males and 12 females. The mean age was 6.5 years. The seizures' duration ranged from 6 months to 2 years. The histopathological examination of the resected lesions revealed in 12 cases the presence of a ganglioglioma, in 7 cases dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor, in 1 case a low grade glioma, in 2 cases cortical dysplasia, and in 2 cases cavernous malformations. In 18 cases, the lesions were located in the temporal lobe and in 6 cases the lesions were extratemporal. After a mean follow-up period of 4.4 years, 79% (19/24) of patients were seizure free. There were no permanent neurological deficits or deaths. Surgery for focal epilepsy in children is a safe procedure with favorable results.
Alexiou
George A
GA
Department of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital Agia Sofia, Athens, Greece. alexiougrg@yahoo.gr
Varela
Maria
M
Sfakianos
George
G
Prodromou
Neofytos
N
D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D002426:Cavernous Sinus / Q000002:abnormalities; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018303:Ganglioglioma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D005910:Glioma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D054220:Malformations of Cortical Development / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome