Related Experiment Videos
Neuroimaging of children with partial seizures
U Kramer1, Y Nevo, I Reider-Groswasser
1Pediatric Neurology Unit, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
Seizure
|June 17, 1998
Summary
Abnormal neuroimaging findings are common in children with partial seizures (PS), particularly simple PS. Early seizure onset correlates with neuroimaging abnormalities, suggesting MRI for all newly diagnosed PS patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Neuroradiology
- Epilepsy Research
Background:
- Partial seizures (PS) in children can have varied underlying causes.
- Neuroimaging (NI) plays a role in diagnosing neurological conditions.
- Understanding the predictive value of NI findings in pediatric PS is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the predictive value of abnormal neurological findings on neuroimaging in children with partial seizures.
- To identify associations between specific neuroimaging abnormalities and seizure types or neurological deficits.
- To determine the utility of neuroimaging in detecting treatable conditions in pediatric PS.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 143 children and adolescents diagnosed with partial seizures between 1979 and 1996.
- Categorization of neuroimaging findings and correlation with seizure characteristics and neurological status.
- Statistical analysis to assess the significance of associations.
Main Results:
- Fifty patients (35%) exhibited abnormal neuroimaging findings, including atrophy, cysts, tumors, and developmental abnormalities.
- Neuroimaging abnormalities were significantly more prevalent in simple PS compared to complex or secondarily generalized PS.
- Patients with abnormal neuroimaging had a significantly earlier age of seizure onset.
- Specific abnormalities correlated with neurological deficits (e.g., porencephalic cyst and hemiatrophy with hemiparesis).
- Treatable abnormalities like tumors and arachnoid cysts were found in a small percentage of patients with normal neurological findings.
Conclusions:
- Abnormal neuroimaging findings are frequent in pediatric partial seizures and are associated with earlier seizure onset.
- While specific abnormalities correlate with neurological deficits, neither neurological examination findings nor seizure type reliably predict resectable brain tumors.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended for all children with newly diagnosed partial seizures to identify potential underlying pathologies.