MR IN TEMPORAL-LOBE EPILEPSY - EARLY-CHILDHOOD ONSET VERSUS LATER ONSET

PURPOSE: To study the relationship between the MR findings and the cli nical features in temporal lobe epilepsy in childhood (less than 10 ye ars of age). METHODS: MR studies were performed with a 1.5-T imager on 38 temporal lobe epilepsy patients receiving drug therapy at the psyc hiatric department. These patients were divided into two groups accord ing to their age at onset (10 years or less, 11 years or more). The tw o groups were compared in terms of the MR findings and clinical featur es. RESULTS: The 11 younger-onset patients included 5 with a high-sign al area attributed to mesial temporal sclerosis. Clinically, all of th ese 5 patients had a history of ''complex'' febrile convulsions, which sharply distinguished them from the older-onset group. CONCLUSION: Th e analysis suggests that complex febrile convulsions in infancy can be associated with high-signal areas on MR attributed to mesial temporal sclerosis.