Microsurgical treatment of patients with refractory epilepsy and mesial temporal cavernous malformations: clinical experience of a tertiary epilepsy center

Abstract

Background: Mesiotemporal cavernous malformation can occur in 10–20% of patients with cerebral cavernomas and are frequently associated with refractory. Methods: A retrospective investigation was performed in the epilepsy clinic of a Brazilian tertiary referral epilepsy center, from January 2000 to March 2012. Results: A total of 21 patients were included in the study. Thirteen patients (62%) evolved to Engel I; 5 (24%) to Engel II, 2 (10%) to Engel III, and 1 (5%) to Engel IV. We observed that 10 (48%) patients with 12 years or less of epilepsy duration evolved to Engel I and 1 (5%) to Engel II; whereas from a total of 10 patients with epilepsy duration of more than 12 years, 3 (30%) evolved to Engel I and 7 (70%) to Engel II, III, or IV (P < 0.001 [bilateral]; P1 ≠ P2). Conclusion: Postsurgical seizure outcome for temporal lobe epilepsy associated with mesiotemporal cavernomas is very satisfactory.