Temporal lobe gangliogliomas associated with chronic epilepsy: long-term surgical outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To review the clinical features and surgical outcome in patients with temporal lobe gangliogliomas associated with intractable chronic epilepsy.


METHODS
The Rush University Surgical Epilepsy Database was queried to identify patients with chronic intractable epilepsy who underwent resection of temporal lobe gangliogliomas at Rush University Medical Center. Medical records were reviewed for age of seizure onset, delay to referral for surgery, seizure frequency and characteristics, pre-operative MRI results, extent of resection, pathological diagnosis, complications, length of follow-up, and seizure improvement.


RESULTS
Fifteen patients were identified. Average duration between seizure onset and surgery was 14.3 years. Complex partial seizures were the most common presenting symptom. Detailed operative data was available for 11 patients - of these, 90.9% underwent complete resection of the amygdala and either partial or complete resection of the hippocampus, in addition to lesionectomy. Average follow-up was 10.4 years (range 1.6-27.5 years), with 14 patients improving to Engel's class I and one patient to Engel's class III. There were no recurrences, and permanent complications were noted in one patient.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term follow-up of patients with temporal lobe gangliogliomas associated with chronic intractable epilepsy demonstrates excellent results in seizure improvement with surgery and increasingly low incidence of complications with improvements in microsurgical techniques.
Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States. David_Wallace@rush.edu
David
D
Wallace
Dmitry
D
Ruban
Andres
A
Kanner
Michael
M
Smith
Lisa
L
Pitelka
Jonathan
J
Stein
Prasad S S V
PS
Vannemreddy
Walt W
WW
Whisler
Richard W
RW
Byrne
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D038481:Anterior Temporal Lobectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D018303:Ganglioglioma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult