What is temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis?
Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis is a rare epilepsy syndrome defined by seizures originating in limbic areas of the mesial temporal lobe, particularly in the hippocampus, amygdala, and in the parahippocampal gyrus and its connections, and hippocampal sclerosis, usually unilateral or assymetric.
Can hippocampal sclerosis cause seizures?
OVERVIEW. Hippocampal sclerosis is characterized pathologically by loss of pyramidal neurons, granule cell dispersion and gliosis in the hippocampus. It can be associated with changes in nearby structures, known as mesial temporal sclerosis. It a common cause of temporal lobe seizures that do not respond to medication.
How is hippocampal sclerosis diagnosed?
Hippocampal sclerosis can be detected with autopsy or MRI. In MRI, a decrease in signal is observed at T1 and an increase in signal at T2. Positron emission tomography is also used as an aid for diagnosis.
Is hippocampal sclerosis progressive?
Hippocampal sclerosis is a progressive disorder: a longitudinal volumetric MRI study. Ann Neurol.
How is hippocampal sclerosis treated?
Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that anteromedial temporal lobectomy is a safe and effective treatment method in well-chosen patients with hippocampal sclerosis. This surgical procedure can be performed with a low rate of morbidity even in relatively new epilepsy surgery center.
How common is hippocampal sclerosis?
Hippocampal sclerosis is the most common finding in epilepsy surgery in adolescent and adult patients. It comprises approximately 65% to 70% of cases of medically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy. The true incidence of hippocampal sclerosis remains unknown.
What does temporal lobe epilepsy look like on an MRI?
Primary MRI findings of temporal lobe epilepsy are hippocampal atrophy, hyperintensity, and loss of internal architecture. Patients with these findings have a 70% to 90% chance of relief from seizures after temporal lobectomy (Figure 2).
Can an MRI tell if you have epilepsy?
Does epilepsy show up on MRI scans? No, not necessarily. An MRI scan can help your doctor understand some of the possible underlying structural causes of your seizures. However, for many people there is no structural cause behind their epilepsy and so the brain scan comes back ‘normal’.