Long-term follow-up after temporal lobe resection for lesions associated with chronic seizures

Neurology. 1997 Mar;48(3):621-6. doi: 10.1212/wnl.48.3.621.

Abstract

A follow-up study was conducted on 60 patients who had standard en bloc anterior temporal lobe resection, including mesio-temporal structures, as treatment for temporal lobe lesions associated with chronic, medically intractable seizures. Lesions were identified as glial tumors, hamartomas, or vascular malformations. Long-term outcome was assessed in terms of seizure frequency and certain psychosocial sequelae. Seizure onset occurred at an average age of 15 years (median = 13.5 years), and patients experienced seizures for an average of 13 years prior to surgery. The mean time of follow-up was 8.4 years post-surgery (median = 6 years). The Kaplan-Meier curve at median follow-up showed a seizure-free rate of 80%. Late seizure recurrence was documented for three patients; two had been seizure free for 10 years and one for 15 years after surgery before re-onset of seizures in the absence of tumor recurrence. A prolonged history of seizures prior to surgery was associated with a poorer seizure outcome (p = 0.06), suggesting that secondary epileptogenesis at sites distant to the lesion may develop with years of uncontrolled seizures. There was a low tumor recurrence rate of 3.3% (two cases). The psychosocial outcome was generally good, with 67% working or engaged in educational studies, and improvement noted in 59% of cases for one or more of the psychosocial factors investigated. This study confirms that anterior temporal lobe resection for temporal lesions associated with chronic seizures is a successful treatment with a high seizure-free rate following surgery and good psychosocial outcome.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Adolescent
  • Brain Diseases / complications*
  • Brain Diseases / surgery*
  • Brain Neoplasms / complications*
  • Brain Neoplasms / surgery
  • Chronic Disease
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Glioma / complications
  • Glioma / surgery
  • Hamartoma / complications
  • Hamartoma / surgery
  • Humans
  • Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / complications
  • Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / surgery
  • Male
  • Seizures / etiology*
  • Seizures / physiopathology
  • Social Adjustment
  • Temporal Lobe / surgery*
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome