LINEAR INTRACEREBRAL CALCIFICATION AFTER DEPTH ELECTRODE IMPLANTATION

We report linear calcifications along the trajectories of previously i mplanted depth electrodes in 2 patients. A 20-year-old man and a 38-ye ar-old woman with medically intractable complex partial seizures (CPS) , underwent bilateral frontal and mesiotemporal depth electrode implan tation as part of their epilepsy surgery workup. Brain computed tomogr aphy (CT) at that time was normal (except for cerebrellar atrophy in o ne case). One patient had a left anterotemporal lobectomy (ATL), and t he other declined operation. Subsequent CT scans showed linear calcifi cations 1-2 cm long in the occipital lobes (unilateral in 1 and bilate ral in the other) that followed the trajectories of the temporal depth electrodes. This finding remained unchanged at latest followup (2-2.5 years), and no new pathology has appeared on subsequent scans. No abn ormalities of calcium metabolism were detected. Review of all availabl e CT scans of our patients with a history of previous depth electrode implantation showed no additional similar cases. We believe this is th e first report of intracerebral calcifications after depth electrode i mplantation.