MULTIPLE SUBPIAL TRANSECTIONS IN THE LANGUAGE CORTEX

Multiple subpial transections (MST) were made in language cortex in th ree patients with medically refractory partial epilepsy. All patients were mapped with extra-operative stimulation using subdural grids over the dominant temporal, frontal and parietal convexity. Two patients h ad anterior temporal lobectomy and MST in posterior language cortex. O ne patient who had undergone a previous frontal tumour resection had o nly MST over the frontoparietal convexity, including frontal and parie tal language areas. Both patients with MST in the posterior language c ortex had postoperative language dysfunction, which had improved signi ficantly by 9 months after surgery, The patient with MST in frontopari etal language areas had improved language functions immediately postop eratively. The two men with anterior temporal lobectomies and MST are seizure-free at 1 year follow-up and the woman with fronto-parietal MS T has had a > 70% reduction in seizure frequency at 1 year follow-up.