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Epilepsy surgery in children with pervasive developmental disorder.
C A Szabó1, E Wyllie, M Dolske
1Division of Neurology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, USA.
Pediatric Neurology
|June 17, 1999
Summary
Epilepsy surgery in children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) and intractable seizures offers variable outcomes. Some children show mild-to-moderate developmental improvements, while others may experience worsening PDD symptoms despite seizure control.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Epileptology
Background:
- Pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) can be associated with medically intractable complex partial seizures.
- Epilepsy surgery is a potential intervention for such cases, but its impact on PDD is not fully understood.
Observation:
- A study evaluated five children (3 males, 2 females) with PDD and epilepsy who underwent resections for focal cortical dysplasia or tumors.
- Surgical procedures included temporal lobe resections and a temporoparieto-occipital resection.
- Patients were monitored for 14-47 months post-operation.
Findings:
- One child with persistent seizures showed moderate developmental and behavioral improvement.
- Three children, seizure-free or with rare seizures, experienced mild developmental and behavioral improvements.
- One seizure-free child with PDD showed significant cognitive and emotional deterioration post-surgery.
Implications:
- Epilepsy surgery outcomes for PDD symptoms are unpredictable, even with successful seizure control.
- Families should be counseled on the potential for both improvement and worsening of PDD after surgery.
- Further research is needed to identify predictors of PDD response to epilepsy surgery.