title: Transsylvian hippocampal transection for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy: surgical indications, procedure, and postoperative seizure and memory outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Amygdalohippocampectomy is a well-established, standard surgery for medically intractable mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). However, in the case of MTLE without hippocampal atrophy or sclerosis, amygdalohippocampectomy is associated with decreased postoperative memory function. Hippocampal transection (HT) has been developed to overcome this problem. In HT the hippocampus is not removed; rather, the longitudinal hippocampal circuits of epileptic activities are disrupted by transection of the pyramidal layer of the hippocampus. The present study describes a less invasive modification of HT (transsylvian HT) and presents the seizure and memory outcomes for this procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-seven patients with MTLE (18 men and 19 women; age range 9-63 years; 19 with surgery on the right side and 18 with surgery on the left side; seizure onset from 3 to 34 years) who were treated with transsylvian HT were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had left-side language dominance, and follow-up periods ranged from 12 to 94 months (median 49 months). Seizure outcomes were evaluated for all patients by using the Engel classification. Memory function was evaluated for 22 patients based on 3 indices (verbal memory, nonverbal memory, and delayed recall), with those scores obtained using the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised. Patients underwent evaluation of the memory function before and after surgery (6 months-1 year).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Engel Class I (completely seizure free) was achieved in 25 patients (67.6%). Class II and Class III designation was achieved in 10 (27%) and 2 patients (5.4%), respectively. There were differences in memory outcome between the sides of operation. On the right side, verbal memory significantly increased postoperatively (p = 0.003) but nonverbal memory and delayed recall showed no significant change after the operation (p = 0.718 and p = 0.210, respectively). On the left side, all 3 indices (verbal memory, nonverbal memory, and delayed recall) showed no significant change (p = 0.331, p = 0.458, and p = 0.366, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Favorable seizure outcome and preservation of verbal memory were achieved with transsylvian HT for the treatment of MTLE without hippocampal atrophy or sclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Neurological Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uda
authors.forename: Michiharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morino
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hosono
authors.forename: Taiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult