title: Natural course of epilepsy concomitant with CNS tuberculomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epilepsy is relatively common in CNS tuberculomas, but its natural course is unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and prognosis of epilepsy in patients with seizures related to CNS tuberculomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients with CNS tuberculomas who presented at our institution between 1983 and 2001.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seizures occurred in 22 of 93 (23.6%) of the patients with CNS tuberculomas. These patients were treated with standard antituberculous therapy for a period varying between 6 and 20 months. Sixty-three out of 93 patients were cured of tuberculosis, and 21 of the 63 (33%) who had concomitant epilepsy became seizure-free. TB recurred in 3 patients, and 1 out of 22 who had concomitant epilepsy continued to have seizures; 3 died and 24 were lost to follow-up. Anti-epileptic medications were discontinued after completion of the anti-TB course.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Seizures are commonly associated with CNS tuberculomas and most often resolve after successful treatment of the underlying CNS tuberculosis.
authors: Neurology Section, Department of Neurosciences, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, MBC 76, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia. alsemari@kfshrc.edu.sa
authors: Abdulaziz
authors: A
authors: AlSemari
authors: Salah
authors: S
authors: Baz
authors: Fahad
authors: F
authors: Alrabiah
authors: Thamer
authors: T
authors: Al-Khairallah
authors: Najeeb
authors: N
authors: Qadi
authors: Abid
authors: A
authors: Kareem
authors: Abdulrahman A
authors: AA
authors: Alrajhi
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016862:Tuberculoma, Intracranial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents