Posterior Quadrant Disconnection Procedure for Intractable Epilepsy: A Case Series of 5 Young Pediatric Patients

Posterior quadrant disconnection (PQD) has been described as a treatment for patients with refractory posterior quadrant subhemispheric epilepsy. Surgical outcomes are difficult to interpret because of limited literature.

To provide insight regarding the operative technique and postsurgical seizure freedom in young pediatric patients who underwent surgical disconnection for the treatment of posterior quadrant subhemispheric epilepsy at our institution.

The authors retrospectively analyzed a series of 5 patients who underwent PQD between 2019 and 2021. Charts were reviewed for preoperative workup including noninvasive/invasive testing, operative reports, and postoperative follow-up data which included degree of seizure freedom, completion of disconnection, and complications.

Five patients were included in this series. The median age at seizure onset was 12 months (range 3-24 months), and the median age at surgery was 36 months (range 22-72 months). Histopathology confirmed focal cortical dysplasia in 3 of 5 patients (2 patients with type IB; 1 with type IIID). The average length of follow-up after surgery was 16.8 months (range 12-24 months). All patients underwent complete disconnection of the posterior quadrant without complications. Four of 5 patients (80%) had Engel score of I, while the remaining patient had an Engel score of IIB.

Our early results demonstrate that complete PQD can be successful at providing excellent seizure freedom and functional outcomes in carefully selected young pediatric patients who have concordant seizure semiology, noninvasive/invasive testing, and imaging findings with primary seizure onset zone within the ipsilateral posterior quadrant. Meticulous surgical planning and thorough understanding of the surgical anatomy and technique are critical to achieving complete disconnection.