Patients with partial seizures: evaluation by MR, CT, and PET imaging

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Radiology
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Partial seizures are a common neurological disorder.
• Accurate neuroimaging is crucial for diagnosis and management.
• Evaluating the utility of different imaging modalities is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the sensitivity of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MR) in patients with partial seizures.
• To assess the role of positron emission tomography (PET) in identifying metabolic abnormalities.
• To determine the correlation between imaging findings and electroencephalographic data.

Main Methods:

• Fifty patients with partial seizures underwent CT and MR imaging.
• Fourteen patients also had PET scans for cerebral glucose metabolism.
• Imaging findings were analyzed for abnormalities and compared across modalities.

Main Results:

• MR detected abnormalities in more patients than CT.
• MR identified signal abnormalities not seen on CT in ten patients.
• PET revealed metabolic asymmetry in patients with MR/CT abnormalities and in some with normal CT/MR.
• Focal cerebral substance loss on CT/MR correlated poorly with electroencephalography.

Conclusions:

• MR imaging is more sensitive than CT for detecting abnormalities in partial seizures.
• MR is a valuable initial imaging tool due to its sensitivity, availability, and non-invasiveness compared to PET.
• Further research may explore the combined utility of MR and PET for complex cases.