Antiepileptic drug treatment in seizure-free mesial temporal lobe epilepsy patients with hippocampal sclerosis following selective amygdalohippocampectomy

Abstract

Retrospectively we analysed postoperative AED treatment in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS) who were seizure free following selective amygdalohippocampectomy (AHE). In this subgroup, we compared the patients without AEDs with that in the entire series. Results: During the year prior to surgery, in the MTLE-HS group, a mean of 2.3±0.8 AEDs were taken. The percentage of seizure-free MTLE-HS patients without AEDs increases to 40% from the postoperative year 5 on. In the ILAE Class 1a (seizure- and aura-free since surgery) at postoperative year 5 more than 60% and from postoperative year 7 on more than 90% have discontinued AED intake. Conclusion: These figures indicate that reduction and discontinuation of AEDs is the same in the subgroup “seizure-free MTLE-HS patients” compared to the entire series.