Abstract
In this literature review, we describe the epidemiology, mechanism of development, and medical or surgical treatment of brain tumor-related epilepsy. We found that 70-90% of patients with low-grade glioma presented with epilepsy, which disappeared postoperatively in 75% of patients. Prognostic factors for postoperative seizure control included preoperative medical control, the duration of seizure (≤1 year), and gross total resection (GTR) of the tumor. For temporal lobe tumors, GTR with hippocampectomy and/or corticectomy was more effective than GTR alone. Patients should undergo surgery within 3 years after the onset of epilepsy. Levetiracetam (LEV) or gabapentin is recommended as an add-on to conventional anti-epileptic agents for refractory seizures. A combination of LEV and valproic acid was reported to be more effective than LEV monotherapy and serves as an alternative to phenytoin as postsurgical medication. LEV monotherapy was proven to be effective for seizures and to improve patient quality of life. Expression synaptic vesicle 2 A protein, which is a LEV-binding protein, was reported to predict patient response to LEV.
