Brain tumors in children with refractory seizures—a long-term follow-up study after epilepsy surgery

Epilepsy surgery is an established treatment option for medically refractory epilepsy. Brain tumors, besides dysplasias, vascular malformations, and other lesions, can cause refractory epilepsy. Long-term epilepsy-associated brain tumors, even though mostly benign, are neoplastic lesions and thus have to be considered as both epileptic and oncological lesions.

We retrospectively analyzed epileptological and oncological long-term follow-up (FU) in pediatric patients who underwent brain surgery for refractory epilepsy and whose histology showed a tumor as underlying cause (n = 107, mean FU 119 months).

At last available outcome, 82.2% of patients were seizure free (International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) class 1) and seizure outcome was stable over more than 14 years. Fifty-four percent of the patients were without anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) at last available outcome; 96.2% of the tumors were classified WHO grade I and II and 3.7% were malignant (WHO grade III). Adjuvant treatment was administered in 5.7%; 2.9% had relapse and one patient died (tumor-related mortality = 1.4%). After surgery, 91% of the patients attended regular school/university and/or professional training.

This study shows that epileptological outcome within this group is promising and stable and oncological outcome has a very good prognosis. However, oncological FU must not be dismissed as a small percentage of patients who suffer from malignant tumors and adjuvant treatment, relapse, and mortality have to be considered.