[Temporal disconnection as an alternative treatment for intractable temporal lobe epilepsy: techniques, complications...

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of intractable partial epilepsy in adults. Surgery (lobectomy or amygdalohippocampectomy) is effective in most patients. However, some complications can occur and brain shift, hematoma into the post operative cavity and occulomotor nerve palsy have been reported due to the surgical technic. We report the technique, safety and efficacy of temporal disconnection in nonlesional TLE. Forty-seven patients (18 males, 29 females; handedness: 12 left, 33 right; aged 35 years+/-10; mean duration of epilepsy: 24+/-10 years) underwent temporal disconnection (20 left, 27 right) guided by neuronavigation. Sixteen patients (35 %) underwent additional presurgical evaluation with SEEG. The outcome was assessed using Engel's classification. At the two-year follow-up, 85 % of the patients were seizure-free (Engel I), 26 (58 %) of whom were Ia. Postoperative persistent morbidity included mild hemiparesis (n=1), mild facial paresis (n=1), quadranopsia (n=23) and hemianopia (n=1). Verbal memory worsened in 13 % of cases when the disconnection was performed in the dominant lobe. MRI follow-up showed two cases of nonsymptomatic thalamic or pallidal limited ischemias, two cases of temporal horn-cystic dilatation, one requiring surgical reintervention without sequelae. There was one case of postoperative phlebitis. In the seizure-free patient group, postoperative EEG showed interictal temporal spikes at three months, one year and two years located in the anterior temporal region. Temporal disconnection is effective, prevents the occurrence of subdural cyst and hematomas in the temporal cavity, prevents the occurrence of oculomotor palsy, and limits the occurrence of quadranopsia. However, comparative studies are required to evaluate temporal disconnection as an alternative to lobectomy in nonlesional TLE.