The utility of cerebrospinal fluid examination in patients with partial epilepsy

The initial evaluation of patients with seizure disorders frequently includes cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination in order to identify an underlying cerebral lesion. With increasing use of computed tomography (CT) scanning to detect cerebral neoplasms, the value of CSF examination has become less certain. The significance of mild CSF abnormalities in patients with a normal CT scan remains unknown. We reviewed the records of 95 patients with adult onset partial epilepsy whose initial evaluation included CSF examination and CT scan. A CSF abnormality not temporally related to convulsive seizure was seen in 24 patients (25%). The CSF study confirmed a clinically suspect subarachnoid hemorrhage in 4 patients. Isolated mild (49-106 mg/dl) increases in CSF protein were seen in 19 patients. Of these 19 patients, 8 had a structural lesion on CT scan. Clinical follow-up of the other 11 patients (mean 5 years) has revealed no evidence of a focal lesion or increasing seizure frequency. This suggests that in an adult population with partial epilepsy routine CSF examination may not be necessary and should be reserved for situations in which there is particular clinical indication.