HIGH-RESOLUTION MR TECHNIQUE IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF MESIAL TEMPORAL SCLEROSIS - CORRELATIVE MRI AND PATHOLOGICAL FEATURES

Mesial temporal sclerosis, otherwise known as hippocampal sclerosis, i s the most common entity associated with medically intractable tempora l lobe epilepsy. The neuronal loss and gliosis of the hippocampus that is pathologically characteristic of this disorder is thought to serve as an epileptogenic substrate. Accurate identification and localizati on of this pathology is crucial before surgery is considered to potent ially cure medically intractable seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging plays a central role in the presurgical work-up. We present a 44-year- old man with a history of intractable partial complex seizures seconda ry to right-sided mesial temporal sclerosis and discuss the magnetic r esonance imaging findings utilizing a high resolution technique. (C) E lsevier Science inc., 1997.