Our experience of pediatric epilepsy surgery

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of different operations in children with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Materials and Method. 91 children with drug-resistant epilepsy were enrolled in a retrospective study. Mean age was 10.3±5.1 years. Anterior temporal lobectomy was performed in 16 (57.1%) patients, lesionectomy – in 9 (10.0%), microsurgical callosotomy in 18 (19.8%), stereotactic callosotomy in 7 (7.7%), multifocal resections in 4 (4.4%), functional hemispherotomy in 14 (15.6%). Stereotactic radiofrequency callosotomy was performed on a CRW Stereotactic frame (Radionics Inc., USA). Ultrasound navigation and neuronavigation were used in 6 (7%) and 14 (15%) cases correspondingly. Intraoperative corticography was applied in 8 (9%) cases. Postoperative long-term follow-up lasted from 1 to 17 years (mean - 8.2±2.1 years).

Results. An epileptogenic zone within single hemisphere was indentified in 66 (72.2%) cases, while bilateral epileptiform activity was observed in 25 (27.5%) children. The most common etiologies of epilepsy included hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, intracerebral hemorrhage, meningoencephalitis, Rasmussen syndrome, cortical dysplasia, tumors.
After surgery 51 (56%) patients became seizures free (Engel 1), 14 (15.4%) patients had rare auras or focal seizures (Engel 2). In 25 (27.5%) cases, seizure frequency reduction was less than 75% or did not change significantly. The most favorable outcomes were associated with resection procedures, resulting in complete seizure control in 46 (69.7%) out of 66 children, with significant improvement observed in 9 (13.6%) cases. After callosotomy drop-attacks stopped in 14 (78%) out of 18 who had them before surgery. Operative complications were encountered in 6 (6.6%) cases, postoperative mortality occurred in 1 (1.1%) case.

Conclusions. The key to the effectiveness of surgical treatment of childhood epilepsy is early surgical intervention, which leads to the control of epileptic seizures, correction of psychological and cognitive emotional disorders and improvement of quality of life. The combination of resection procedures and disconnections contributes to the reduction of epileptogenic neurons and suppression of epileptic discharges.