J Korean Epilepsy Soc.  2007 Dec;11(2):91-96.

Surgical Treatment of Intractable Frontal Lobe Epilepsy

• Song Y
• Hong SH
• Kang JK
• Lee JK

Abstract

PURPOSE: Frontal lobe epilepsy is difficult to be managed with medical or surgical treatment. So the authors analyzed and reviewed the clinical results of the frontal lobe epilepsy patients who underwent surgical treatment.
METHODS
From 1996 to 2004, Thirty-nine patients were treated surgically. The authors reviewed retrospectively the radiological, clinical and pathological data of the patients. The surgical outcome was classified using Engel's classification.
RESULTS
The mean follow-up period is 70.5 (+/-29.7) months. The preoperative MR image was normal in 19 cases and abnormal in 20 cases. There were 11 encephalomalacias, 4 cortical dysplasias and 5 brain tumors. The postoperative pathological finding was normal in 5 cases and abnormal finding in 34. There were 20 cortical dysplasias, 4 encephalomalacias, 3 gliosises, 2 fibrous scars, 2 cavernous malformations, 1 dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor, 1 paragonimiasis and 1 venous thrombosis. The postoperative surgical outcomes were as follows: Class I, 41%; Class II, 25.6%; Class III, 20.5%; Class IV, 12.8%.
CONCLUSIONS
The surgical outcomes of frontal lobe epilepsy have improved, compared with previous series. The pathological abnormality was observed in large portion of the frontal lobe epilepsy patients.

Keyword

Epilepsy; Frontal lobe; Frontal lobe epilepsy; Epilepsy surgery

MeSH Terms

Brain Neoplasms
Cicatrix
Classification
Encephalomalacia
Epilepsy
Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe*
Follow-Up Studies
Frontal Lobe*
Gliosis
Humans
Malformations of Cortical Development
Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial
Paragonimiasis
Retrospective Studies
Venous Thrombosis