DEVELOPMENT OF INTRACRANIAL TUMORS IN PATIENTS WITH LONG-STANDING PREEXISTING EPILEPSY

We report 8 patients who had an intracranial tumor intercurrently with longstanding preexisting epilepsy. In 4 [3 idiopathic generalized epi lepsies (IGE), 1 frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE)], the tumor was extracere bral or subcortical (2 craniopharyngiomas, 1 germinoma, 1 meningioma) and did not affect the course of epilepsy. In 4 [1 IGE, 2 FLE, 1 tempo ral lobe epilepsy (TLE)], the tumor was superficial and intracerebral (3 astrocytomas, 1 oligodendroglioma) and the first sign of tumor was a change in the intensity or symptoms of epilepsy. Diagnosis of the tu mor was delayed in the second group. Clinical and biologic evidence su ggest that epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs are not risk factors for b rain tumors. However, clinicians should bear in mind that not all brai n tumors cause epileptic seizures and that patients with various types of epilepsy can develop brain tumors. Aggravation or change in the sy mptomatology of epilepsy warrants thorough investigation to rule out t he possibility of development of an intercurrent brain tumor.