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Updated: May 19, 2026

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Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
Published on: September 20, 2024
[Insular psammomatous meningioma presenting intractable complex partial seizures]
Hirochika Imoto1, Masami Fujii, Yuichi Maruta
1Department of Neurosurgery, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Japan.
No Shinkei Geka. Neurological Surgery
|August 24, 2012
Summary
A calcified insular psammomatous meningioma caused intractable epilepsy in a 30-year-old female. Surgical removal of the tumor led to complete seizure resolution without neurological deficits, highlighting effective treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Neurology
- Pathology
Background:
- Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures.
- Insular brain lesions can present with complex partial seizures mimicking other epilepsy types.
- Meningiomas are tumors arising from the meninges, the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
Observation:
- A 30-year-old female presented with intractable symptomatic epilepsy.
- The epilepsy was caused by a calcified mass in the insular region of the brain.
- Histological examination confirmed the mass as a psammomatous meningioma.
Findings:
- The patient experienced seizures characterized by impaired consciousness, motionless stare, and automatism.
- Surgical resection of the insular meningioma was performed using neuronavigation and motor evoked potential (MEP) monitoring.
- Complete removal of the tumor resulted in the complete cessation of seizures.
- No neurological deficits were observed post-operatively.
Implications:
- Insular meningiomas can manifest as complex partial seizures that closely resemble medial temporal lobe epilepsy.
- Total surgical resection is an effective treatment for epilepsy caused by insular meningiomas.
- This case underscores the importance of considering rare intracranial lesions in the differential diagnosis of refractory epilepsy.
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