[On the best strategies on the best results for surgery of frontal epilepsy]

Neurochirurgie. 2008 May;54(3):388-98. doi: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2008.02.040. Epub 2008 May 7.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Frontal lobe epilepsy surgery is the second most common surgery performed for drug-resistant partial epilepsy. We investigated the longitudinal outcome in a cohort of patients investigated since 1990 with SEEG and modern diagnostic techniques. We reviewed 105 patients who underwent surgery between 1990 and 2005 (mean follow-up, six years; range: one to 17 years) and analyzed the year-per-year follow-up according to Engel's classification. Favorable outcome (Class I) was observed for 70% and this result was stable at least five years after surgery. More than 90% of patients with lesion-related epilepsies (focal cortical dysplasia and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors) became seizure-free. Less than 50% of patients classified as having cryptogenic epilepsy (defined as normal imaging and neuropathology on surgical specimen) had a favorable outcome. Permanent neurological sequelae were subtle and rare, especially after surgery for dysplasia in eloquent cortex (primary motor cortex). Our data indicate that frontal surgery is a successful treatment in patients when electrophysiological and morphological investigations demonstrate a well-defined epileptogenic zone or lesion to be surgically resected. Progress in electrophysiological and brain-imaging techniques will further improve the selection of frontal lobe epilepsy surgery candidates.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Dominance, Cerebral / physiology
  • Electroencephalography
  • Electrophysiology
  • Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe / etiology
  • Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe / pathology
  • Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe / surgery*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Functional Laterality
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Motor Cortex / pathology
  • Neurosurgical Procedures* / methods
  • Patient Selection
  • Postoperative Complications / epidemiology
  • Postoperative Complications / psychology
  • Seizures / epidemiology
  • Seizures / physiopathology
  • Treatment Outcome