Giant subcortical heterotopia involving the temporo-parieto-occipital region: A challenging cause of drug-resistant epilepsy

Novegno, Federica; Battaglia, Domenica; Chieffo, Daniela; Frassanito, Paolo; Leoni, Chiara; Tamburrini, Gianpiero; Massimi, Luca; Tartaglione, Tommaso; Di Rocco, Concezio; Guzzetta, Francesco

doi:10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2009.06.006

« Previous Next »Epilepsy Research
Volume 87, Issue 1 , Pages 88-94, November 2009

Giant subcortical heterotopia involving the temporo-parieto-occipital region: A challenging cause of drug-resistant epilepsy

Federica Novegno
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Catholic University Medical School, Largo A. Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 06 30154495.
Domenica Battaglia
- Department of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy
Daniela Chieffo
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Catholic University Medical School, Largo A. Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
Paolo Frassanito
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Catholic University Medical School, Largo A. Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
Chiara Leoni
- Department of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy
Gianpiero Tamburrini
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Catholic University Medical School, Largo A. Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
Luca Massimi
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Catholic University Medical School, Largo A. Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
Tommaso Tartaglione
- Department of Radiology, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy
Concezio Di Rocco
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Catholic University Medical School, Largo A. Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
Francesco Guzzetta
- Department of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy

Received 23 May 2009; received in revised form 25 June 2009; accepted 28 June 2009.

Summary

The clinical, radiological, neurophysiological and neuropsychological findings of three patients with giant subcortical heterotopia are reported.

All patients experienced psychomotor and behaviour improvement after surgery. Two subjects are seizure-free after complete excision of the heterotopia; the third patient significantly improved following subtotal removal (Engel's class II).

Patients affected by giant subcortical heterotopias can have a favourable prognosis after the surgical removal of the malformation, even following long-lasting epilepsy.

Keywords: Subcortical heterotopia, Infancy, Surgery, Drug-resistant epilepsy, Cognitive delay