Complex partial seizures. Clinical features and differential diagnosis.

Complex partial seizures are the most common seizure type in patients with partial epilepsy. Most complex partial seizures emanate from the temporal lobe; however, the seizures also may be extratemporal in origin. The clinical phenomenology may distinguish complex partial seizures from nonepileptic paroxysmal disorders and other seizure types. Physiologic and psychological disorders need to be considered in the differential diagnosis of seizure activity. Long-term EEG monitoring may be necessary for select patients to confirm the diagnosis of epilepsy and to classify appropriately seizure type. Carbamazepine and phenytoin are the antiepileptic drugs of choice in the management of complex partial seizures. Polypharmacy and use of cognitively impairing antiepileptic drugs may reduce patient compliance and further impair the quality of life of the patient with epilepsy. Finally, epilepsy surgery is an important alternative for the patient with intractable partial seizures.     

Nonspecific mitochondrial disease with epilepsy in children: diagnostic approaches and epileptic phenotypes

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to characterize epileptic phenotypes in children with nonspecific mitochondrial disease (MD) and to evaluate MD diagnostic approaches. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the medical, electroencephalogram, and laboratory records of 142 patients with epilepsy was performed. The patients were evaluated for MD, and 124 patients were included in the final cohort. The MD criteria used included an oral glucose lactate stimulation test (OGLST) and urine organic acid/plasma amino acid (UOA/PAA) assays as metabolic indicators of modified Walker criteria, as suggested by Bernier et al. (Neurology 59:1406-1411, 2002). RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were classified as having definite MD (9), probable MD (5), possible MD (6), or pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) deficiency (3), including one patient which showed a respiratory chain (RC) defect and PDH deficiency. Seven out of eight patients in whom significant RC defects were observed showed complex I defects. In 14 patients, epileptic seizures start at infantile ages. Of 17 patients who substantially presented generalized seizures, 4 patients started with partial seizures. Five patients consistently presented only partial seizures. The OGLST and UOA/PAA assays were useful for a more precise diagnosis of MD, although low positive predictive value of the OGLST was regrettable. No patient was classified as definite MD by Walker's original criteria, but the use of our revised MD criteria resulted in the classification of nine additional patients as definite MD. CONCLUSIONS: MD manifested considerable diverse epileptic phenotypes and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of epilepsy in children with unexplained encephalomyopathy and progressive and fluctuating clinical courses.     

Outpatient Video-EEG Monitoring in Children

Summary: Video-EEG monitoring enables correlation of behavioral activity with EEG activity, which is useful in recognition of pseudoepileptic seizures and in investigation of patients for epilepsy surgery. Because most patients are monitored for a prolonged time as in-patients, the cost of the procedure is high. We investigated the value of brief (2–3 h) outpatient video-EEG monitoring in 43 children with frequent seizures, most of whom had symptomatic generalized epilepsy. Indications for monitoring included differentiation of epileptic from nonepileptic behavior, seizure classification, and determination of seizure frequency. Clinical episodes were recorded in 36 of 43 children (83%). A definite diagnosis was established in 9 of the 17 patients investigated to determine the nature of the clinical behavior. Seizures were classified in 1.5 of the 25 patients investigated to determine seizure type, and classification was different from the original in 9 of the 15 children. A change in epilepsy syndrome classification was made in 9 children. The video-EEG allowed diagnosis in 25 of the 43 children (59.5%). Video-EEG appears to be an effective method for outpatient investigation of children with frequent seizures, particularly those with symptomatic géneralizéd epilepsy.     

Multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. An analysis of 14 case histories

Fourteen of 330 patients with the clinical and laboratory supported definite diagnosis of Multiple Sklerose (MS) had epileptic seizures. The epilepsy of six patients probably originates from the MS. Four patients respectively suffered from genuin epilepsy or symptomatic epilepsy caused by other diseases than the MS. Most patients had GM, two GM and focal motor fits and one uncinatus fits. An epileptic focus in the EEG was evident in two patients. MRI- and CCT-scans frequently showed extensive cortex-neighboured lesions and multiple subcortical demyelination, especially localized in the temporal lobe. Epileptic seizures as a symptom of MS are very seldom. The longer the interval from the first episode of the MS to the first epileptic seizure the more probable epilepsy is caused by other reasons than the MS.     

Utility of the Scalp-Recorded Ictal EEG in Childhood Epilepsy

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of the scalp-recorded ictal EEGs in diagnosing childhood epilepsy. METHODS: We analyzed the ictal EEGs of 259 seizures in 183 patients who visited the department of child neurology, Okayama University Medical School, during the past 6 years. RESULTS: We divided all seizures into the following four categories, according to the diagnostic usefulness of ictal EEGs in determining the seizure type: 1. (a) Ictal EEGs confirmed the diagnosis of the seizure type based on seizure symptoms (101 seizures); (b) Ictal EEGs aided in the classification of the seizure type based on the seizure symptoms (101 seizures); (c) Ictal EEGs corrected errors in the classification (37 seizures); and (d) Ictal EEGs revealed previously unreported/undocumented seizure type (20 seizures). 2. Of the 37 misdiagnosed seizures (group C), 11 were nonepileptic seizures misdiagnosed as epileptic seizures, eight were complex partial seizures (CPS) misdiagnosed as the other seizure types, and 10 were other seizure types misdiagnosed as CPSs. 3. Of the 20 previously unreported/undocumented seizures (group D), nine were myoclonic seizures, five were absence seizures, five were CPS, and one was tonic spasms. 4. Seventy-two patients had CPS. Among them, 11 patients showed no epileptic spikes in their interictal EEG recordings. Therefore, ictal recordings confirmed the diagnosis of epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS: Ictal EEG recording is a very useful diagnostic tool not only for determining seizure types, but also for uncovering the existence of the unsuspected seizure types. It supplies the physician with useful information for the classification and the treatment of epilepsy. In particular, ictal EEGs are useful in diagnosing patients with CPS.     

不同类型癫痫的症状特征研究

目的：分析癫痫发作的临床表现,了解癫痫的症状学特点和发作类型。方法：通过规范的病电询问、记录和分析399例确诊癫痫患者的发作史和治疗史,明确癫痫分类和癫痫综合征的诊断。结果：399例癫痫患者经规范诊断,发现癫痫部分性发作（302例）是主要的发作形式（75．7％）。病程中,54．4％的患者只有一种发作形式（217例）;36．3％的患者有2种发作形式（145例）;9．3％的患者有3种或以上发作形式（37例）。结论：各种癫痫发作类型中最常见的形式是部分性发作,约半数患者表现为多种发作形式。     

Ictal crying

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to describe a series of patients with ictal crying to estimate its occurrence and characterize the clinical features and the underlying etiology.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed all the long-term video-EEG reports from Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy Center over a 12-year period (2004–2015) for the occurrence of the terms “cry” or “sob” or “weep” in the text body. All the extracted reports were reviewed, and patients with at least one episode of documented ictal crying at the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) were included in the study.ResultsDuring the study period, 5133 patients were investigated at our EMU. Thirty-two patients (0.6%) had at least one documented seizure accompanied by crying. Twenty-seven patients (26 women and one man) had psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), and five patients (0.1%) had epilepsy. Among patients with epileptic ictal crying, four patients had focal epilepsy (two had definite, and two had probable frontal lobe epilepsy), while one patient had Lennox–Gastaut syndrome.ConclusionIctal crying is a rare finding among patients evaluated at the EMUs. The most common underlying etiology for ictal crying is PNES. However, ictal crying is not a specific sign for PNES. Epileptic ictal crying is often a rare type of partial seizure in patients with focal epilepsy. Dacrystic seizures do not provide clinical value in predicting localization of the epileptogenic zone.     

Safe and effective use of the ketogenic diet in children with epilepsy and mitochondrial respiratory chain complex defects

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the ketogenic diet (KD) for patients with intractable childhood epilepsy and mitochondrial respiratory chain (RC) complex defects. METHODS: A retrospective analysis evaluated outcomes in 14 children with intractable epilepsy and RC complex defects who were treated with the classic KD involving a 4:1 lipid to nonlipid ratio (% by weight), but without an initial fast and fluid restriction. Outcome measures included seizure frequency, electroencephalography (EEG) findings, the number of antiepileptic drugs, and adverse reactions. RESULTS: Of the 14 patients, 9 had Complex I defects, 1 had a Complex II defect, 3 had Complex IV defects, and 1 had combined Complex I and IV defects. Two patients with Complex IV defects showed clinical progress compatible with the Leigh disease. The epileptic diagnoses were as follows: 5 patients were diagnosed with infantile spasms, 4 with the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, 1 with the Landau-Kleffner syndrome, 1 with nonspecific generalized seizure disorder, and 3 with partial seizure disorder. The study found that 7 patients became seizure-free after commencing the KD, three of whom successfully completed the diet without relapse. One patient with a greater than 90% seizure reduction, and 2 patients with seizure reductions between 50% and 90%, remained on the diet. Four patients, including two diagnosed with the Leigh disease, did not show any favorable responses to the diet or ceased the diet due to complications. CONCLUSIONS: The KD was a safe and effective therapy for seizures in children with intractable epilepsy and RC complex defects.     

Epilepsies and time to diagnosis. Descriptive results of the CAROLE survey

CAROLE is a prospective survey of children and adults who experienced epileptic unprovoked seizure(s) diagnosed for the first time between May 1 1995 and June 30 1996 by 243 French neurologists and neuropediatricians. Case records forms at entry allowed to compare patients who had a single seizure or several seizures prior to diagnosis. In patients with recurrent seizures, the time elapsed between the onset of attacks and the diagnosis (diagnostic delay) was looked for. Half of the 1942 included individuals already experienced more than one seizure when diagnosed. Due to natural history of epilepsies, 13 p.100 of the patients did not come to medical attention after a single seizure. Time to diagnosis ranged from 0 day to 52 years. While the overall median delay was 6 days, it ranged from 0 day to 7-8 months according to the type of seizure and the epilepsy syndrome. Two thirds of generalized convulsive seizures were immediately diagnosed versus one third of partial seizures. One half of infantile spasms were identified within 2 weeks versus 6 weeks in complex partial seizures, 4 months in absence seizures, 6 months in simple partial seizures, and 7 months in myoclonic seizures. Three quarters of idiopathic partial epilepsies were diagnosed within 4 weeks versus 3 months in symptomatic generalized epilepsies, 8 months in symptomatic partial epilepsies, 15 months in idiopathic generalized epilepsies, 30 months in cryptogenic partial epilepsies, and 33 months in undetermined epilepsies. So, the time elapsed between a first epileptic event and its diagnosis is epilepsy-dependent: seizure type and cause. Other reasons of diagnostic delay do exist: doctor and patient. They will be addressed in another study.     

Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy: Extended Spectrum of GEFS+?

PURPOSE: Severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI) is an intractable epilepsy of early childhood of unknown etiology. It is often associated with a family history of seizure disorders, but epilepsy phenotypes have not been well described. We sought to characterize the seizure phenotypes of relatives to better understand to the genetic basis of SMEI. METHODS: Probands with SMEI were identified, and systematic family studies were performed. Epilepsy syndromes were characterized in affected family members. RESULTS: Twelve probands with SMEI were identified. Eleven of the 12 probands with SMEI had a family history of seizures, and the twelfth was the result of a consanguineous marriage. We found that 16.7% of full siblings and 8.3% of parents had definite seizures. A total of 39 affected family members was identified. The most common phenotype was febrile seizures in 14, febrile seizures plus in seven, partial epilepsy in two, and there were single individuals with SMEI, myoclonic-astatic epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and 13 cases with unclassified or unconfirmed seizures. CONCLUSIONS: The family history of seizures in SMEI is in keeping with the spectrum of seizure phenotypes seen in generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+). Our findings suggest that SMEI is the most severe phenotype in the GEFS+ spectrum.     

Early-Childhood Progressive Myoclonus Epilepsy Presenting as Partial Seizures in Dentatorubral-Pallidoluysian Atrophy

Summary: Purpose: We explored the characteristics of epileptic seizures of progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME) in 2 brothers with dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA).
Methods: We obtained the case history of the siblings and ictal and interictal EEGs. Postmortem examination or demonstration of elongated CAG repeat in the gene for DRPLA was used to confirm the diagnosis.
Results: Two Japanese siblings developed PME characterized by versive or himiclonic seizures with or without secondarily generalized tonic-clonic convulsions. The elder brother regressed mentally and exhibited increasing spasticity after age 1 year. Myoclonus and seizures developed at age 4 years. The younger brother had shown psychomotor retardation before age 4 years, when he began to deteriorate further neurologically as the elder brother had. He also developed myoclonus and seizures at that age. Seizures in both patients remained partial until their deaths at ages 19 and 15 years, respectively. Ictal EEG verified partial onset of seizure evolving to generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTCS). Interictal EEGs showed multifocal paroxysmal discharges with little or no diffuse paroxysms. Postmortem examination or genetic study confirmed the diagnosis of DRPLA.
Conclusions: Seizures of patients with DRPLA may present as partial seizures in children with early-onset PME.     

Epilepsies of neonatal onset: seizure type and evolution

Most neonatal seizures are occasional seizures and not true epilepsy. This study investigates seizure types of true neonatal epilepsies and their evolution with development. Seventy-five children with epilepsies of onset within 1 month of life, who were examined between 1970 and 1995, and whose seizure types could be confirmed with ictal EEG recordings, were studied. The patients were followed up for a minimum of 3 years and the evolution of epileptic syndromes was investigated. Sixty-three (84%) of 75 patients had partial seizures, while nine had generalized seizures, and only three had both generalized and partial seizures. Twenty-three of 24 neonates with benign familial or non-familial neonatal convulsions presented with partial seizures; these syndromes should not necessarily be categorized into generalized epilepsy as they are in the present International Classification. Age-dependent changes were a common feature of symptomatic neonatal epilepsies. Eighteen (41%) of 44 patients with symptomatic epilepsies of neonatal onset developed West syndrome in infancy. Fifteen (83%) of these 18 patients presented with symptomatic localization-related epilepsy in the neonatal period. In seven of these 15 patients, West syndrome was followed by localization-related epilepsy. Symptomatic localization-related epilepsy with transient West syndrome in infancy is another type of age-dependent epileptic syndrome.     

Seizure-related injuries in children with newly diagnosed and untreated epilepsy

PURPOSE: Patients with epilepsy are reported to have an increased risk of physical injury. One of clinicians' concerns for diagnosing epilepsy early is to try to prevent such injuries and also to allay parental anxiety that seizures may cause injuries. The purpose of this study was to investigate injuries in children with newly diagnosed epilepsy and before starting antiepileptic medication. METHODS: A prospective study was undertaken of all newly diagnosed and untreated patients with at least two unprovoked, afebrile seizures of any type, aged 1-16 years, presenting consecutively to seven paediatric/paediatric neurology outpatient departments over a 12-month period. Information was collected on the duration of epilepsy before diagnosis, the epilepsy syndrome, the seizure type causing the injury, how and the age at which the injury was sustained, and whether hospital treatment was required for the injury. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-eight patients (116 boys) were surveyed. No patient died as a result of an injury. Twenty-five (12.6%) children experienced an injury before the diagnosis of epilepsy was established. Only four of the 25 patients (2% of all 198 patients) required medical attention for the injury. The injuries occurred at a mean age of 10.3 years (range, 4-15.1 years), and epilepsy was diagnosed at a mean age of 11.1 (range, 4.2-15.8) years. Fifteen patients were injured at home, six at school, and four outside the home. The seizures causing the injuries were tonic-clonic (17), complex partial (four), myoclonic (one), and of uncertain type (three). None of the 32 patients with childhood-onset typical absence epilepsy had accidental injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Injuries caused by epileptic seizures were uncommon in this newly diagnosed and untreated, consecutive paediatric outpatient series. These unique data could help to reassure clinicians that the diagnosis of epilepsy should not be influenced by any concern that accidental injuries caused by seizures are common in children before starting medication.     

Diagnostic inaccuracy in children referred with "first seizure": role for a first seizure clinic

PURPOSE: To determine (a) the range of diagnoses, and (b) the prevalence of previous seizures in children presenting to a first seizure clinic. METHODS: One hundred twenty-seven children were seen in a tertiary care First Seizure Clinic. Inclusion criteria were age 1 month-17 years with an unprovoked event suggestive of seizure. Data collected included referring physician specialty, child's age, gender, developmental status, and clinical diagnosis of epileptologist (nonepileptic vs. epileptic). For those with epileptic events, seizure type, syndrome (if identifiable), presumed etiology (idiopathic, cryptogenic, and symptomatic), presence of prior afebrile and febrile seizures, provoking factors, family history, pre/perinatal complications and EEG results were recorded. RESULTS: The diagnosis was epileptic in 94 (74%), nonepileptic in 31 (24%) and unclassifiable in two (2%). Pediatricians were more likely to refer true epileptic events (92%) than ED physicians (76%) or family physicians (65%). Mean age at presentation was 8 years. Fifteen percent of children were developmentally delayed and neurological examination was abnormal in 11%. For those diagnosed with epileptic events, 32 presented with generalized while 62 presented with partial onset seizures. An epilepsy syndrome was identifiable in 15 cases. Thirty-eight percent experienced a prior probable seizure which was recognized by the referring physician in only one case. An EEG was done in all children with seizures and was abnormal in 41%. Early EEG was performed in 20% of children and did not show statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnostic inaccuracy is common in first seizure. One quarter of children were incorrectly diagnosed as having a seizure while the diagnosis of epilepsy was missed in over one-third of children.     

Prognosis of Epilepsy: A Review and Further Analysis of the First Nine Years of the British National General Practice Study of Epilepsy, a Prospective Population-Based Study

Summary: Purpose: To understand the prognosis of newly diagnosed epilepsy to provide rational therapy and advice for patients and their physicians. Methods: The National General Practice Study of Epilepsy (NGPSE) is the first large population-based study that has assessed the prognosis of patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy prospectively over a prolonged period. We review the previously published data on the prognosis of epilepsy after 9 years of follow-up. One thousand ninety-one patients with newly diagnosed or suspected epilepsy who were attending 1 of 275 general practices throughout the United Kingdom between 1984 and 1987 were ascertained. Cases in this study were defined as the occurrence of one or more seizures, including provoked seizures. Prognosis in terms of remission of seizures, and mortality, was analyzed in the patients who were classified 6 months after recruitment as having definite epilepsy (n = 564) or possible/probable epilepsy (n = 228). Results: Only 33 patients were completely lost to follow-up. After 9 years, 86% [95% confidence interval (CI) 81, 901 of patients with definite epilepsy had achieved a remission of 3 years, and 68% (CI 61, 73, had achieved a remission of 5 years. For the complete cohort, with possible/probable epilepsy included, the rates increased to 87% (CI 83, 91) for 3-year remission and 71% (CI 65, 77) for 5–year remission. The proportion of patients with definite epilepsy who were still in remission at 9-year follow-up (terminal remission) was 68% (CI 62, 74) for 3-year remission and 54% (CI 48, 60) for 5-year remission. When stratified by etiology, the proportions achieving 5–year remission by 9 years was 69% (CI 60, 77) for idiopathic seizures, and 61% (CI 46, 75) for remote symptomatic epilepsy. Age and seizure type had small effects on the chances of achieving remission, with children experiencing slightly lower rates than older patients, and partial seizures having lower remission rates than generalized seizures. The overall standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for patients with definite or possible/probable epilepsy was 2.5 (CI 2.1, 2.9), and 3.0 (CI 2.5, 3.7) for patients who were classified as having definite epilepsy. The SMR for patients with idiopathic epilepsy was 1.6 (CI 1.0, 2.4), for those with remote symptomatic epilepsy it was 4.3 (CI 3.3, 5.3, and for those with acute symptomatic epilepsy it was 2.9 (CI 1.7, 4.5). Conclusions: Overall, most patients with epilepsy wiil enter remission; however, there is a higher than expected risk of death, especially in those with symptomatic epilepsy.     

Classification of epilepsy syndromes and role of genetic factors

In this report the types of epilepsy syndromes seen in children in a tertiary referral center in Beirut, Lebanon were studied and the importance of consanguinity and family history in the occurrence of these syndromes was investigated. Records of 230 pediatric patients evaluated during a 1-year period with the diagnosis of single seizure, febrile seizure, or epilepsy were reviewed. Each patient was classified according to the International League Against Epilepsy classification. The occurrence of consanguinity, of family history of febrile seizures or epilepsy, and of other variables was noted. Thirty-six percent of patients were diagnosed with localization-related epilepsy, 21.7% with generalized epilepsy, 11.7% with undetermined generalized or focal, and 24.3% with special syndromes. Twelve percent of patients were diagnosed with idiopathic, 15.1% with symptomatic, and 30.3% with cryptogenic epilepsies. Consanguinity was more common in patients with symptomatic and cryptogenic epilepsies than in patients with idiopathic epilepsies or with incidental seizures (P < 0.05). Family history of epilepsy was more common in patients with symptomatic, cryptogenic, and idiopathic epilepsies than in patients with incidental seizures (P < 0.05). Family history of febrile seizures but not consanguinity was more common in patients with febrile seizures (P < 0.05). We conclude that genetic factors are important not only in idiopathic epilepsies and febrile seizures but also in cryptogenic and symptomatic epilepsies.     

The use of lamotrigine monotherapy in children with newly diagnosed partial epilepsy

Lamotrigine (Lamictal, Glaxo Wellcome) is a drug which is used as add-on therapy in patients with refractory epilepsy. Several previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of lamotrigine monotherapy, but only few have been done in pediatric patients. The aim of our study was the assessment of efficacy and tolerability of lamotrigine monotherapy in children with newly diagnosed partial epilepsy. Lamictal was used in 19 children (11 boys and 8 girls), aged 3-16 years. 17 patients demonstrated complex partial seizures (with or without secondarily generalisation), 2 children had simplex partial seizures. Symptomatic epilepsy was diagnosed in 10 patients and cryptogenic epilepsy in 9 cases. The drug was administered at the dose of 3.87 +/- 1.02 mg/kg/day during 24 weeks. Three children withdrew from the study because of adverse events: one patient developed rash, two ones seizure exacerbation. Lamictal produced of at least 50% reduction in seizure frequency in 12 (63.15%) children, included 10 seizure-free patients. One third patients experienced EEG improvement. The most common adverse effects were gastrointestinal and sleep disturbances, infections, dizziness, all of them were mild and transient and observed more often in children under 12 years of age. Lamotrigine monotherapy is effective and safe for treatment of newly diagnosed cryptogenic and symptomatic epilepsy with partial seizures but further studies are necessary specially in young children.     

Characteristics of Seizures in a Population-Based Series of Mentally Retarded Children with Active Epilepsy

Summary: Purpose: The characteristics of seizures were analysed in a population-based study of active epilepsy in 6-to 13-year-old mentally retarded children. Methods: The search procedure included diagnostic registers, EEG registers, and registers of the Education of the Subnormal. Medical files were scrutinized, and clinical examinations and interviews with parents or caretakers or both were performed. Results: The median age of seizure onset was 1·3 years, 3·1 for children with mild retardation and 0·8 for children with severe retardation. Among the 98 children identified, current seizure groups were partial in 20, generalized in 59, and mixed in 19. The prevailing seizure types were tonic-clonic, myoclonic, atypical absences, and partial complex seizures, present in 42, 33, 23, and 23 children, respectively. A total of 46 children had more than one seizure type. Seizures every day/week occurred in 44 children. There was a constancy between seizure type at onset and later seizure type. Neonatal seizures (n = 25), infantile spasms (n = 12), and status epilepticus (n = 37) occurred independent of one another. Prognostic factors for poor neurologic outcome were early onset of epilepsy, infantile spasms as onset type, and prior neonatal seizures. Children with only partial seizures less frequently had severe mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and visual impairment than those with only generalized seizures. Conclusions: Epilepsies in children with mental retardation are characterized by severe seizure manifestations. The brain damage giving rise to mental retardation and epilepsy is probably the main factor in terms of seizure outcome.     

Parietal Lobe Lesional Epilepsy: Electroclinical Correlation and Operative Outcome

Summary: We retrospectively studied ictal behavior, extracranial EEG, and operative outcome in 10 consecutive patients with intractable partial epilepsy of presumed parietal lobe origin who received a lesionectomy, i.e., resection of the neuroimaging-identified abnormality, at the Mayo Clinic. Nine patients had a pathologically verified foreign-tissue lesion, e.g., tumor or vascular malformation, and 1 patient had gliosis. All patients with foreign-tissue lesions were rendered seizure-free. The patient with gliosis experienced a reduction in seizure tendency. There were no operative complications. The most common seizure type was a simple partial seizure with visual, motor, or sensory symptoms (n = 8). Complex partial seizures (n = 5) and secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTC, n = 2) were also observed. The ictal behavior was often nonspecific although useful in identifying lateralization of the epileptogenic zone. Extracranial interictal and ictal EEG changes were unreliable markers of the parietal lobe origin of seizure activity. Lesionectomy without chronic intracranial monitoring or functional mapping may be an effective and safe alternative surgical procedure in patients with partial epilepsy related to parietal lobe lesions.