title: Reappraisal of corpus callosotomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Corpus callosotomy is a palliative surgical treatment modality that has gone in and out of favor. The purpose of this review is to summarize the studies of callosotomy in the past years as a treatment for severe drug-resistant epilepsy with traumatizing drop attacks, mostly in children and also in some adults. The aim is also to discuss knowledge gaps and suggest how these could be addressed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lately, a number of callosotomy series, mostly retrospective and single center, have included 289 operated patients. A few series have included nonoperated controls; one prospective long-term series is national and population based. Seizure outcome is shown to be comparable to that earlier reported, with best effect against drop attacks. There is no consensus on whether anterior or complete callosotomy is to be preferred. In a meta-analysis of callosotomy versus vagal nerve stimulation, callosotomy led to better seizure outcome. Diffusion tensor imaging may be a promising tool to analyze the completeness of the procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Callosotomy remains an effective palliative procedure. Many unresolved issues, such as prognostic indicators, nonseizure-related outcomes, whether to choose anterior or complete callosotomy, and outcomes and adverse effects in adults, need to be studied in prospective, preferably multicenter studies.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg bDepartment of Neuroscience Care, Sahlgrenska University Hospital cInstitute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg dDepartment of Pediatrics, Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Malmgren
authors.forename: Bertil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rydenhag
authors.forename: Tove
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hallböök
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000601:surgery*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome