A clinicopathologic analysis of specimens of hemispherectomy or multilobar resection from 46 cases of refractory epilepsy

Abstract

Objective To investigate the clinicopathologic features of the brain tissue from multilobar resection or hemispherectomy for refractory epilepsy. Methods The clinical and pathologic findings of 46 cases seen at Xuanwu hospital from 2005 to 2009 were reviewed retrospectively. Results The mean age of seizure onset and disease duration were 3.9 years and 10.2 years, respectively. There were 33 cases of hemispherectomy and 13 cases of multilobar resection. Temporal lobe abnormality was seen in all cases. The pathologic subgroups were as follows: ulegyria (31/46), malformation of cortical development (MCD, 7/46 ) and infection (8/46). Microscopic examination of ulegyria showed cortical architectural disturbances, neuronal loss, reactive gliosis and appearance of corpora amylacea. We also noted deposition of hemosiderin (13 cases), calcification (9 cases) and island-like neurons (5 cases). All ulegyria cases were accompanied by varying degree of cortical dysplasia, and hippocampus sclerosis were identified in 7 cases. MCD comprised of 5 cases of focal cortical dysplasia ( FCD), including 3 cases of FCDⅠB, 1 case of FCDⅡA and 1 case of FCDⅠA, 1 case of polymicrogyria and 1 case of porencephaly. Among 8 infection eases, there were 5 cases of Rasmussen encephalitis ( RE), l case of cysticercosis, 1 case of tuberculous meningitis and l case of Cytomegalovirus encephalitis. Conclusions The most common pathological category of specimens from hemispherectomy or multilobar resection is ulegyria with obvious temporal lobe abnormality. This is followed by MCD ( with FCDⅠB as the main type) and central nervous system infection (RE as the most frequent abnormality). Key words: Epilepsy; Cerebrum; Cicatrix; Malformations of cortical development; Encephalitis