title: Seizure control and developmental trajectories after hemispherotomy for refractory epilepsy in childhood and adolescence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the seizure control and developmental outcomes after hemispherotomy for refractory epilepsy in childhood and to identify their predictive factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively studied the clinical courses and outcomes of 52 children with refractory epilepsy who underwent hemispherotomy in the Epilepsy Center Freiburg between 2002 and 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age at epilepsy onset was 1.8 years (range 0-8 years) and mean age at surgery was 6.7 years (range 6 months-18 years). The underlying etiology was congenital in 22 (42%) children, acquired in 24 (46%), and progressive in 6 (12%). At final follow-up of 1-9.8 years (mean 3.3), 43 children (83%) were seizure-free. Seizure outcome was not correlated to etiology, with the exception of hemimegalencephaly that was linked to poor seizure control. Presurgical development was impaired in all but one child. Postsurgical development highly correlated with presurgical development. Patients with acquired or progressive etiology, later epilepsy onset, and subsequent later surgery exhibited higher presurgical developmental status that substantially determined postoperative developmental outcome. Improved postsurgical development was determined by acquired etiology and seizure freedom off antiepileptic drugs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study, most of the selected children and adolescents achieved seizure freedom, including those with congenital etiology. Developmental outcomes, however, were superior in patients with acquired etiology and older age at surgery, underscoring that it is never too late to reap the benefits of this procedure in terms of both epilepsy and development.
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Center, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. georgia.ramantani@uniklinik-freiburg.de
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramantani
authors.forename: Navah Ester
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Kadish
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strobl
authors.forename: Angeliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stathi
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wiegand
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schubert-Bast
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Korinthenberg
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Stephani
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: van Velthoven
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zentner
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schulze-Bonhage
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bast
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D038421:Hemispherectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D059906:Neuroimaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013812:Therapeutics