Abstract
We comparatively assessed detection of epileptogenic areas on preoperative evaluation in 33 patients with intractable partial epilepsy using scalp interictal and ictal electroencephalography (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and interictal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). There are 22 temporal and 11 extratemporal lobe epilpsies. All or almost of their seizures have stopped after resective surgery for more than 12 months follow-up period, averaged 43 months. MRI studies demonstrated 21 organic lesions, 11 mesial temporal sclerosis and one patient showed normal brain tissue. Scalp EEG could correctly identify the focus in 14 of 33 cases (42%), interictal SPECT in 18 of 26 (69%), MRI in 29 of 33 (88%), interictal scalp EEG-video monitoring in 17 of 24 (71%), and ictal scalp EEG-video monitoring in 15 of 22 (68%). Although neuroimaging studies, especially MRI, are useful to detect not only localization of epileptic lesions but also epileptogenic focus, for example, mesial temporal sclerosis, the exact localization of epileptogenic areas could be done by comprehensive evaluation including ictal scalp EEG-video monitoring.
