MESIAL TEMPORAL-LOBE EPILEPSY IN CHILDHOOD

To clarify the clinical picture of mesial temporal Lobe epilepsy (MTLE ) in childhood, we carried out a clinical, electroencephalographic, an d neuroradiologic study of 19 patients. MTLE was noted in 19 (0.82%) o f 2,319 epileptic patients with childhood onset. Three types of initia l seizure were recognized:febrile convulsion, afebrile generalized con vulsion, and complex partial seizure (CPS). As presumed causes, variou s prolonged convulsions (persisting for >30 min) were found in 12 (63. 2%) cases. Regardless of the presence of preceding convulsions (febril e or afebrile), the clinical course was not uniform, with CPS in the e arly period temporarily controlled in some cases and intractable from the early period in others. Unilateral hippocampal abnormalities were confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before the age of 5 year s in two cases, suggesting that mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) is for med within a relatively short period in some cases. Seizures were cont rolled for >6 months in only two (10.5%) cases and persisted in 17. In four (21.1%) cases. surgical treatment was considered to be available .