Atilla Erdem

Temporal lobe ictal behavioral patterns in hippocampal sclerosis and other structural abnormalities.

Ictal behavioral characteristics may provide clues in determining the nature of the epileptic focus. We defined ictal behavioral characteristics in patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) who underwent anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) and lived seizure-free for 2 years of follow-up. Video/EEG data on 282 seizures observed in 48 patients who suffered from TLE and underwent ATL were analyzed. All patients were seizure-free after surgery. We divided the patients into two groups on the basis of the pathological examination. Two hundred and two seizures in 35 patients with hippocampal sclerosis (Group 1) and eighty seizures in 13 patients with other pathological findings, such as tumors, cavernoma, and hamartoma (Group 2), were analyzed. Ictal behavior characteristics were evaluated for each of the seizures recorded in the two groups. Behavioral arrest, bilateral hand automatisms, oral and leg automatisms, and ictal aggression were significantly more frequent in Group 2 (P<0.05), whereas contralateral dystonia of the upper extremity (P<0.05), ipsilateral hand automatisms (P<0.05), ipsilateral hand automatisms in the presence of contralateral dystonia of the upper extremity (P<0.001), contralateral forced head deviation (P<0.05), and secondary generalization (P<0.05) were more significant in Group 1. There was no significant difference in vocalization and ipsilateral nonforced head deviation between the two groups (P>0.05). The number of seizures observed during ictal speech, crying, and postictal nose wiping was not large enough, so differences could not be analyzed. It was concluded that although ictal behavioral characteristics differed between the two groups, certain behavioral patterns may be helpful in differentiating between hippocampal sclerosis and other pathology.

Identification and removal of an epileptogenic lesion using Ictal-EEG, functional-neuronavigation and electrocorticography

PURPOSE Cases with intractable epilepsy may present with multiple lesions in their brains. Ictal-EEG carries a great value in identification of the primary epileptogenic source. On the other hand, removal of low-grade tumors located around the eloquent cortex may be risky with conventional techniques. Functional-neuronavigation (f-NN) is the integration of functional magnetic resonance imaging and stereotactic technologies; and provides interactive data regarding localization of the motor cortex. This report presents a case with dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNET), which was removed using f-NN and electrocorticography (ECoG) techniques. METHODS A 19-year-old patient with intractable complex partial and secondary generalized seizures is presented. MRI revealed a low-grade tumor located in right parietal region just behind the motor cortex, and a contralateral temporal arachnoid cyst. Ictal-EEG demonstrated the right parietal origin of the seizures. The patient underwent a right parietal craniotomy and tumor excision using f-NN and ECoG techniques intraoperatively. ECoG findings correlated with epileptogenicity of the parietal lesion. RESULTS Postoperative course was uneventful. No postoperative deficit was observed. The patient was seizure free in eight months follow-up. Pathological examination reported the lesion as DNET. CONCLUSIONS Ictal-EEG has a very important role in identification of the epileptogenic focus in cases with multiple brain lesions. Preservation of the functional cortex is the most prominent aim during lesional surgery of epilepsy. Intraoperative mapping using f-NN and ECoG supports the orientation of the neurosurgeon to the functional and epileptogenic cortical areas; and thus, increase the safety and efficacy of surgical procedures.

Outcomes of resective surgery in children and adolescents with focal lesional epilepsy: The experience of a tertiary epilepsy center

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of resective surgery in children with focal lesional epilepsy by evaluating the predictive value of pre- and postsurgical factors in terms of seizure freedom. METHODS This study included 61 children aged between 2 and 18years who were admitted to the pediatric video-EEG unit for presurgical workup. Each patient was evaluated with a detailed history, video-EEG, neuroimaging, and postsurgical outcomes according to Engel classification to predict postsurgical seizure freedom. All the possible factors including history, etiology, presurgical evaluation, surgical procedures, and postsurgical results were analyzed for their predictive value for postoperative seizure freedom. RESULTS Of the 61 patients, 75% were diagnosed as having temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), and 25% were diagnosed with extra-TLE. Two years after the surgery, 78.6% were seizure-free, of which 89% had TLE, and 50% had extra-TLE (p<0.05). Patients were more likely to have a favorable outcome for seizure freedom if they had rare seizure frequency, focal EEG findings, and focal seizures; had a temporal epileptogenic zone; or had TLE and hippocampal sclerosis. On the other hand, patients were more likely to have unfavorable results for seizure freedom if they had younger age of seizure onset, frequent seizures before the surgery, a frontal or multilobar epileptogenic zone, secondarily generalized seizures, extra-TLE with frontal lobe surgery, or focal cortical dysplasia. SIGNIFICANCE Resective surgery is one of the most effective treatment methods in children with intractable epilepsy. A history of young age of seizure onset, frequent seizures before surgery, secondarily generalized seizures, a multilobar epileptogenic zone, frontal lobe surgery, and focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) are the most important predictive factors indicating that a patient would continue having seizures after surgery. On the other hand, focal seizure semiologies, temporal lobe localization, and hippocampal sclerosis indicate that a patient would have better results in terms of seizure freedom.

Schwannoma of the conus medullaris

We report a rare case of schwannoma of the conus medullaris. A 38-year-old female presented with pain and numbness in her lower limbs. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a heterogenous tumour of the conus medullaris. A subtotal resection was performed and histology confirmed schwannoma. The literature regarding these rare tumours, and their cell of origin, is reviewed.

Giant intrasacral meningocele: a case report

A peculiar case of intrasacral meningocele and spinal cord tethering is reported. Contents of the intrasacral meningocele and importance of CSF flow analyses with MRI are discussed. Demonstration of CSF flow from the thecal sac to meningocele in the CSF flow MR imaging may be helpful for determining the possibility of meningocele growth. In this report, we have presented the determination of CSF flow as a new surgical indication in this type of cases.

Letter: The Paramedian Supracerebellar-Transtentorial Selective Amygdalohippocampectomy for Mediobasal Temporal Epilepsy

To the Editor: The surgical technique of selective amygdalohippocampectomy was first described by Professor Yaşargil and published in Advances and Technical Standards in Neurosurgery, vol 12, Springer, Vienna in 1985.1 The article “The Paramedian Supracerebellar Transtentorial Selective Amygdalo-hippocampectomy for Mediobasal Temporal Epilepsy” was written by Mehmet Volkan Harput, MD and Uğur Türe, MD, and published online in Operative Neurosurgery dated December 23, 2017.2 Some details are missing in this presentation: 1. How many patients were operated on by this approach? 2. What is the percentage of seizure-free rate in the clinical follow-up of the operated patients? 3. This alternative approach should be put forward for a reason. What reason lies beneath? What are the advantages for using this approach compared to the trans-sylvian approach?

Surgical Treatment of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Before and After Depression, Anxiety and Quality of Life Evaluation

Summary Objectives: Depression and anxiety are the most common psychiatric disorders in patients with drug resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. This study evaluated depression, anxiety and quality of life in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy before and after ATL. Methods: This prospective study was performed in 23 patient with resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. Clinical seizure characteristics, temporal lobe localization, seizure frequency, educational and socioeconomic status, antiepileptic medication, cranial MRI and pathology of cases were evaluated. BDE, BAI and SF-36 scales administered before and after ATL with standard interval. Results: We found a rate of 43.5% for depression and anxiety before surgical treatment. Depression and anxiety were found to be related only seziure frequency in terms of clinical and demographic features. The rate of depression and anxiety increased with increased frequency of seizures (p<0.001 and p=0.012 respectively). Depression and anxiety improved markedly following ATL in our cases. This improvement is directly associated with attaining a seizure-free state following surgical treatment (p<0.001). We found a marked improvement in all subscales of SF 36. Conclusion: We found in this series that ATL can benefit carefully-chosen drug resistant TLE cases both with an improvement in epileptic seizures and also in the psychopathology. A seizure-free state following surgical treatment is the most powerful predictor of improvement findings of depression, anxiety and quality of life.