Transient and falsely lateralizing flumazenil-PET asymmetries in temporal lobe epilepsy

We have observed a falsely lateralizing mesial temporal [11C]-flumazenil binding asymmetry in three patients who had temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) with normal hippocampal volumes. This abnormality was not detected 3 months later in two of the patients who underwent a second PET study. We conclude that transient and falsely lateralizing changes of flumazenil binding might occur in patients with TLE and no hippocampal sclerosis.