[Epilepsy and CNS malformations]

Malformations of cortical development are currently considered to be one of the commonest causes of mental retardation and epilepsy.

New neuroimaging techniques have helped diagnosis of these conditions during life and the recognition of new anatomo-clinical syndromes. Although the true incidence of these lesions as a cause of epilepsy is unknown, data from surgical patients indicate that this is the commonest pathology found in children operated on for intractable crises. Most of these patients have focal or generalized crises associated with mental retardation, with a wide range or severity.

In this review we analyze the clinical features, electroencephalographic findings and the prognosis of epilepsy secondary to these malformations [REV NEUROL 1999; 28: 136-40].