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Anteromesial Temporal Lobectomy for Medically Intractable Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: An Operative Study
Published on: August 15, 2025
Leukoencephalopathy with bilateral anterior temporal lobe cysts
John B Bodensteiner1, John F Kerrigan, Stanley D Johnsen
1Children's Health Center of St. Joseph's Hospital and The Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA. jbodens@chw.edu
Journal of Child Neurology
|August 12, 2006
Summary
This study describes a rare genetic neurological disorder characterized by severe intellectual disability and distinct brain MRI findings, including anterior temporal lobe cysts. The condition presents with nonprogressive motor and mental deficits, aiding diagnosis through neuroimaging.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroimaging
- Genetics
Background:
- A distinctive neurological condition has been increasingly reported.
- Characterized by specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and nonprogressive clinical course.
- 25 cases previously described, highlighting its rarity and distinctiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report four new cases of this newly recognized neurological entity.
- To further characterize the clinical and neuroimaging features.
- To emphasize the diagnostic utility of MRI in this condition.
Main Methods:
- Case reporting of four new patients.
- Detailed clinical assessment including motor and mental retardation.
- Neuroimaging analysis, specifically magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).
Main Results:
- Four new patients identified with characteristic anterior temporal lobe cystic changes on MRI.
- Clinical presentation includes severe, disabling, nonprogressive mental and motor retardation.
- Magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed increased myo-inositol and decreased N-acetylaspartate in cerebral white matter.
Conclusions:
- This is a distinctive, likely genetic, neurological condition.
- Characteristic neuroimaging and clinical features aid in diagnosis.
- Anterior temporal lobe cystic changes on MRI are highly suggestive in the appropriate clinical context.
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