Focal cortical dysplasia is a frequent coexistent pathology in patients with Rasmussen's encephalitis

Rasmussen's encephalitis (RE) is a rare, predominantly pediatric epilepsy disorder of unknown etiology. It classically affects one of the cerebral hemispheres and histologically shows cortical chronic inflammation, gliosis, and neuronal loss. The etiopathogenesis of RE remains unknown, with genetic, infectious, and autoimmune factors all speculated to play a role. Although the histologic findings in RE are well described, few studies have investigated a large cohort of cases looking for the coexistence of RE with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD).

The study is a retrospective review of RE patients who underwent surgical resection of brain tissue between 1979 and 2021. Relevant patient history was retrieved, and available histologic slides were reviewed. The histologic severity of RE was described according to the Pardo criteria. In cases where FCD was present, the observed patterns of FCD (namely Ia, Ib, IIa, IIb, etc.) were described using the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification.

Thirty-eight resection specimens from 31 patients formed the study cohort. Seventeen patients (54.8 %) were male; average age at surgery was 8 years (range: 2-28 years). Twenty-seven resection specimens (71.1 %) from 23 patients (74 %) showed evidence of coexistent FCD. Most cases with FCD resembled the ILAE type Ib (n = 23) pattern. Cases of RE that did not show FCD were either Pardo stage 1 (n = 5) or 4 (n = 6), with all Pardo stage 2 and 3 cases demonstrating FCD.

FCD was found in most patients with RE (74 %). The most observed pattern of FCD was ILAE Ib.