Epilepsy and brain tumours in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Oncology

Background:

• Epilepsy is a common symptom of pediatric brain tumors, though tumors are rarely the cause in epileptic children.
• Benign tumors, particularly astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, and mixed oligoastrocytic tumors, are frequently associated with epilepsy as the revealing symptom.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence and characteristics of brain tumors presenting as epilepsy in children.
• To evaluate the efficacy of surgical tumor resection in resolving seizures and improving outcomes in pediatric epilepsy patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of pediatric patients with epilepsy and confirmed brain tumors.
• Review of tumor types, locations, seizure characteristics, and surgical outcomes, including recurrence rates and neurological assessments.

Main Results:

• Brain tumors are found in 1-2% of epileptic children, but epilepsy reveals tumors in 90% of cases, with 9 out of 10 being benign.
• Cerebral hemisphere tumors, primarily astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, and mixed tumors, accounted for 84% of benign tumors, with 76% revealed by seizures.
• Temporal lobe tumors were common (nearly 50%), complex partial seizures predominated (47%), and tumor resection led to seizure resolution in 80% of cases.
• Post-surgery, 71% of children maintained an IQ >80, and 77% achieved normal schooling.

Conclusions:

• Epilepsy can be the primary manifestation of pediatric brain tumors, predominantly benign gliomas.
• Surgical removal of these tumors is highly effective in achieving seizure control and improving long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in children.