[Noninvasive protocol for surgical treatment of focal epilepsies]

Nervenarzt. 1999 Dec;70(12):1088-93. doi: 10.1007/s001150050543.
[Article in German]

Abstract

We present a non-invasive epilepsy surgery protocol, which includes EEG-video-monitoring, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), interictal positron emission tomography (PET) and ictal single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT). According to this non-invasive protocol 50 of 173 patients with medically intractable focal epilepsy underwent resective surgery. The localization of the epileptogenic zone was based on the congruence of the localizing results of EEG-video-monitoring, MRI, interictal PET and ictal SPECT. 46 (92%) of the patients had temporal and 4 (8%) had extratemporal epilepsies. 78% (n = 39) of all patients operated according to our non-invasive protocol were postoperatively completely or almost seizure free. Extramesiotemporal resections could be carried out without invasive EEG-recording if the epileptogenic zone was not adjacent to the eloquent cortex. We conclude from our results that in a considerable number of patients with medically intractable particularly temporal focal epilepsies, resective epilepsy surgery can be based on non-invasive EEG-evaluations and the risk of invasive recordings can be avoided.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Brain Mapping*
  • Child
  • Diagnostic Imaging*
  • Epilepsies, Partial / diagnosis
  • Epilepsies, Partial / physiopathology
  • Epilepsies, Partial / surgery*
  • Female
  • Hippocampus / physiopathology
  • Hippocampus / surgery
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Psychosurgery*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Stereotaxic Techniques
  • Temporal Lobe / physiopathology
  • Temporal Lobe / surgery