Patterns of seizure control in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with and without hippocampus sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
Patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) may present unstable pattern of seizures. We aimed to evaluate the occurrence of relapse-remitting seizures in MTLE with (MTLE-HS) and without (MTLE-NL) hippocampal sclerosis.


METHODS
We evaluated 172 patients with MTLE-HS (122) or MTLE-NL (50). Relapse-remitting pattern was defined as periods longer than two years of seizure-freedom intercalated with seizure recurrence. "Infrequent seizures" was considered as up to three seizures per year and "frequent seizures" as any period of seizures higher than that.


RESULTS
Thirty-seven (30%) MTLE-HS and 18 (36%) MTLE-NL patients had relapse-remitting pattern (X2, p = 0.470). This was more common in those with infrequent seizures (X2, p < 0.001). Twelve MTLE-HS and one MTLE-NL patients had prolonged seizure remission between the first and second decade of life (X2, p = 0.06).


CONCLUSIONS
Similar proportion of MTLE-HS or MTLE-NL patients present relapse-remitting seizures and this occurs more often in those with infrequent seizures.
Laboratório de Neuroimagem, Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Ana Carolina
AC
Coan
Laboratório de Neuroimagem, Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Brunno M
BM
Campos
Laboratório de Neuroimagem, Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Felipe P G
FP
Bergo
Laboratório de Neuroimagem, Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Bruno Y
BY
Kubota
Laboratório de Neuroimagem, Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Clarissa L
CL
Yasuda
Laboratório de Neuroimagem, Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Marcia E
ME
Morita
Laboratório de Neuroimagem, Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Carlos A M
CA
Guerreiro
Laboratório de Neuroimagem, Departamento de Neurologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Fernando
F
Cendes
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012598:Sclerosis; D012640:Seizures / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult