Acquired hippocampal damage after temporal lobe seizures in 2 infants

Two infants developed unilateral hippocampal swelling on magnetic resonance imaging after prolonged seizures of temporal origin. Subsequent images sug gested hippocampal sclerosis, The first child had febrile status epilepticu s with exanthem subitum and developed refractory complex partial seizures. Histological findings after temporal lobectomy confirmed hippocampal sclero sis but also revealed sequelae of a focal encephalitis and microdysgenesis of the hippocampus. The second child had signs of brain dysgenesis, but acq uired hippocampal damage affecting each side successively was documented by serial magnetic resonance imaging. These cases illustrate that different c linical conditions combining preexisting and acquired pathological characte ristics can lead to hippocampal sclerosis.