PROMINENT OCCIPITOTEMPORAL VEIN - AN ASSOCIATION WITH TEMPORAL-LOBE EPILEPSY

Eight patients with a prominent occipitotemporal vein on MR imaging, a nd ipsilateral temporal lobe epilepsy are reported. The ages of the pa tients ranged from 2 months to 12 yr. There were five males and three females. Abnormal electroencephalographic (EEG) findings were evident in all the patients, and they had focal seizures. MR images revealed p rominent (4 mm or more in width) occipitotemporal veins in the ipsilat eral sides, and otherwise unremarkable findings. Three similar patient s have previously been reported in the literature. We speculate that a prominent occipitotemporal vein may represent a consequence or a caus e of a certain type of temporal lope epilepsy. Further clinicoradiolog ic studies are required to clarify the question raised by these observ ations. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd