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Seizure and developmental outcomes following epilepsy surgery for children with Sturge-Weber syndrome

Jonathan Cookson1, Hanna Richardson2, Martin Tisdall3

  • 1UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK; Department of Neurodisability, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.

European Journal of Paediatric Neurology : EJPN : Official Journal of the European Paediatric Neurology Society
|May 15, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Epilepsy surgery for Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) offers good seizure control, particularly in younger patients. While most children maintain or improve cognitive and language skills, motor function can be affected.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Neurosurgery

Background:

  • Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) is a rare neurocutaneous disorder frequently associated with epilepsy in children.
  • Epilepsy surgery is a potential treatment, but outcomes regarding seizure control and neurodevelopment are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate seizure control and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with SWS undergoing epilepsy surgery.
  • To analyze the impact of surgery on cognition, language, motor function, and social communication.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of case notes for children with SWS who underwent epilepsy surgery.
  • Analysis of standardized developmental assessments for cognition, language, and motor function.

Main Results:

  • 77.2% of patients achieved good seizure control (Engel 1 outcome).
  • Older age at surgery was linked to poorer seizure outcomes.
  • Cognitive and language trajectories mostly stabilized or improved; motor skills showed mixed results, with fine motor skills declining in 60%.

Conclusions:

  • Epilepsy surgery provides effective seizure control for SWS patients.
  • Younger age at surgery appears to correlate with better outcomes.
  • Further multicenter studies are necessary to identify factors influencing seizure and developmental outcomes.
Abstract

Keywords:
CognitiveHemispherotomyLanguageLobectomyMotorMulti-lobar

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