Visual activation positron emission tomography for presurgical evaluation of occipital lobe epilepsy--case report

A 14-year-old boy suffered from daily epileptic seizures originating from the left polymicrogyric occipital cortex. Visual activation positron emission tomography (PET) was used to map the function of the occipital cortex presurgically. Loss of visual function in the left occipital cortex was suggested by both visual activation PET and electrical cortical stimulation. Left occipital lobectomy resulted in a completely seizure-free status without deterioration in the visual function. Preoperative evaluation of the visual function in the epileptogenic occipital cortex by activation studies using PET or functional magnetic resonance imaging is the key to the successful surgical treatment of occipital lobe epilepsy.