Top

Published in:

01-01-2008 | Neuro

Structural magnetic resonance imaging in epilepsy

Authors: Karel Deblaere, Eric Achten

Published in: European Radiology | Issue 1/2008

Abstract

Because of its sensitivity and high tissue contrast, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the technique of choice for structural imaging in epilepsy. In this review the effect of using optimised scanning protocols and the use of high field MR systems on detection sensitivity is discussed. Also, the clinical relevance of adequate imaging in patients with focal epilepsy is highlighted. The most frequently encountered MRI findings in epilepsy are reported and their imaging characteristics depicted. Imaging focus will be on the diagnosis of hippocampal sclerosis and malformations of cortical development, two major causes of medically intractable focal epilepsy.

Sander JW (2003) The epidemiology of epilepsy revisited. Curr Opin Neurol 16:165–170PubMedCrossRef

Commission on Neuroimaging of the International League Against Epilepsy (1997) Recommendations for neuroimaging of patients with epilepsy. Epilepsia 38:1255–1256CrossRef

Kuzniecky RI (2005) Neuroimaging of epilepsy: therapeutic implications. NeuroRx 2:384–393PubMedCrossRef

Berg AT, Testa FM, Levy SR, Shinnar S (2000) Neuroimaging in children with newly diagnosed epilepsy: a community-based study. Pediatrics 106:527–532PubMedCrossRef

King MA, Newton MR, Jackson GD et al (1998) Epileptology of the first-seizure presentation: a clinical, electroencephalographic, and magnetic resonance imaging study of 300 consecutive patients. Lancet 352:1007–1011PubMedCrossRef

Griffiths PD, Coley SC, Connolly DJA et al (2005) MR imaging of patients with localisation-related seizures: initial experience at 3.0 T and relevance to the NICE guidelines. Clin Radiol 60:1090–1099PubMedCrossRef

Urbach H, Hattingen J, Von Oertzen J et al (2004) MR imaging in the presurgical workup of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 25:919–926PubMed

Cakirer S, Basak M, Mutlu A, Galip GM (2002) MR imaging in epilepsy that is refractory to medical therapy. Eur Radiol 12:549–558PubMed

Lefkopoulos A, Haritanti A, Papadopoulou E, Karanikolas D, Fotiadis N, Dimitriadis AS (2005) Magnetic resonance imaging in 120 patients with intractable partial seizures: a preoperative assessment. Neuroradiology 47:352–361PubMedCrossRef

10.

Bernal B, Altman NR (2003) Evidence-based medicine: neuroimaging of seizures. Neuroimaging Clin N Am 13:211–224PubMedCrossRef

11.

Elster AD, Mirza W (1991) MR imaging in chronic partial epilepsy: role of contrast enhancement. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 12:165–170PubMed

12.

Schaller B, Ruegg SJ (2003) Brain tumor and seizures: pathophysiology and its implications for treatment revisited. Epilepsia 44:1223–1232PubMedCrossRef

13.

Liigant A, Haldre S, Oun A et al (2001) Seizure disorders in patients with brain tumors. Eur Neurol 45:46–51PubMedCrossRef

14.

Hufnagel A, Weber J, Marks S et al (2003) Brain diffusion after single seizures. Epilepsia 44:54–63PubMedCrossRef

15.

Szabo K, Poepel A, Pohlmann-Eden B et al (2005) Diffusion-weighted and perfusion MRI demonstrates parenchymal changes in complex partial status epilepticus. Brain 128:1369–1376PubMedCrossRef

16.

von Oertzen J, Urbach H, Jungbluth S et al (2002) Standard magnetic resonance imaging is inadequate for patients with refractory focal epilepsy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 73:643CrossRef

17.

Urbach H (2005) Imaging of the epilepsies. Eur Radiol 15:494–500PubMedCrossRef

18.

Semah F, Picot MC, Adam C et al (1998) Is the underlying cause of epilepsy a major prognostic factor for recurrence? Neurology 51:1256PubMed

19.

Engel J Jr, Wiebe S, French J et al (2003) Practice parameter: temporal lobe and localized neocortical resections for epilepsy: report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology, in association with the American Epilepsy Society and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Neurology 60:538–547PubMed

20.

Langfitt JT (1997) Cost-effectiveness of anterotemporal lobectomy in medically intractable complex partial epilepsy. Epilepsia 38:154–163PubMedCrossRef

21.

Wiebe S, Blume WT, Girvin JP, Eliasziw M (2001) A randomized, controlled trial of surgery for temporal-lobe epilepsy. N Engl J Med 345:311PubMedCrossRef

22.

Kuzniecky R, Burgard S, Faught E, Morawetz R, Bartolucci A (1993) Predictive value of magnetic resonance imaging in temporal lobe epilepsy surgery. Arch Neurol 50:65–69PubMed

23.

Berkovic SF, McIntosh AM, Kalnins RM et al (1995) Preoperative MRI predicts outcome of temporal lobectomy: an actuarial analysis. Neurology 45:1358–1363PubMed

24.

Gilliam F, Faught E, Martin R et al (2000) Predictive value of MRI-identified mesial temporal sclerosis for surgical outcome in temporal lobe epilepsy: an intent-to-treat analysis. Epilepsia 41:963–966PubMedCrossRef

25.

Jack CR Jr, Rydberg CH, Krecke KN et al (1996) Mesial temporal sclerosis: diagnosis with fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery versus spin-echo MR imaging. Radiology 199:367–373PubMed

26.

Jackson GD, Berkovic SF, Duncan JS, Connelly A (1993) Optimizing the diagnosis of hippocampal sclerosis using MR imaging. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 14:753–762PubMed

27.

Sawaishi Y, Sasaki M, Yano T, Hirayama A, Akabane J, Takada G (2005) A hippocampal lesion detected by high-field 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging in a patient with temporal lobe epilepsy. Tohoku J Exp Med 205:287–291PubMedCrossRef

28.

Briellmann RS, Kalnins RM, Berkovic SF, Jackson GD (2002) Hippocampal pathology in refractory temporal lobe epilepsy: T2-weighted signal change reflects dentate gliosis. Neurology 58:265–271PubMed

29.

Oppenheim C, Dormont D, Biondi A et al (1998) Loss of digitations of the hippocampal head on high-resolution fast spin-echo MR: a sign of mesial temporal sclerosis. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 19:457–463PubMed

30.

Jackson GD, Briellmann RS, Kuzniecky RI (2005) Temporal lobe epilepsy. In: Kuzniecky RI, Jackson GD (eds) Magnetic resonance in epilepsy, 2nd edn. Elsevier, Amsterdam

31.

Achten E, Deblaere K, De Wagter C et al (1998) Intra- and interobserver variability of MRI-based volume measurements of the hippocampus and amygdala using the manual ray-tracing method. Neuroradiology 40:558–566PubMedCrossRef

32.

Kuzniecky R (2004) Clinical applications of MR spectroscopy in epilepsy. Neuroimaging Clin N Am 14:507–516PubMedCrossRef

33.

Bernasconi A, Bernasconi N, Caramanos Z et al (2000) T2 relaxometry can lateralize mesial temporal lobe epilepsy in patients with normal MRI. Neuroimage 12:739–746PubMedCrossRef

34.

Salmenpera TM, Simister RJ, Bartlett P et al (2006) High-resolution diffusion tensor imaging of the hippocampus in temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsy Res 71:102–106PubMedCrossRef

35.

Dumas de la Roque A, Oppenheim C, Chassoux F et al (2005) Diffusion tensor imaging of partial intractable epilepsy. Eur Radiol 15:279–285PubMedCrossRef

36.

Barkovich AJ, Raybaud CA (2004) Malformations of cortical development. Neuroimaging Clin N Am 14:401–423PubMedCrossRef

37.

Barkovich AJ, Raybaud CA (2004) Neuroimaging in disorders of cortical development. Neuroimaging Clin N Am 14:231–254, viiiPubMedCrossRef

38.

Barkovich AJ, Kuzniecky RI, Jackson GD, Guerrini R, Dobyns WB (2001) Classification system for malformations of cortical development: update 2001. Neurology 57:2168–2178PubMed

39.

Ruggieri PM, Najm I, Bronen R et al (2004) Neuroimaging of the cortical dysplasias. Neurology 62:S27–S29PubMedCrossRef

40.

Barkovich AJ, Kjos BO (1992) Gray matter heterotopias: MR characteristics and correlation with developmental and neurologic manifestations. Radiology 182:493–499PubMed

41.

Kuzniecky R, Andermann F, Guerrini R (1993) Congenital bilateral perisylvian syndrome: study of 31 patients. The CBPS Multicenter Collaborative Study. Lancet 341:608–612PubMedCrossRef

42.

Palmini A, Najm I, Avanzini G et al (2004) Terminology and classification of the cortical dysplasias. Neurology 62:S2–S8PubMed

43.

Tassi L, Colombo N, Garbelli R et al (2002) Focal cortical dysplasia: neuropathological subtypes, EEG, neuroimaging and surgical outcome. Brain 125:1719–1732PubMedCrossRef

44.

Colombo N, Tassi L, Galli C et al (2003) Focal cortical dysplasias: MR imaging, histopathologic, and clinical correlations in surgically treated patients with epilepsy. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 24:724–733PubMed

45.

Palmini A, Gambardella A, Andermann F et al (1995) Intrinsic epileptogenicity of human dysplastic cortex as suggested by corticography and surgical results. Ann Neurol 37:476–487PubMedCrossRef

46.

Gambardella A, Palmini A, Andermann F et al (1996) Usefulness of focal rhythmic discharges on scalp EEG of patients with focal cortical dysplasia and intractable epilepsy. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 98:243–249PubMedCrossRef

47.

Bastos AC, Comeau RM, Andermann F et al (1999) Diagnosis of subtle focal dysplastic lesions: curvilinear reformatting from three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging. Ann Neurol 46:88–94PubMedCrossRef

48.

Chan S, Chin SS, Nordli DR, Goodman RR, DeLaPaz RL, Pedley TA (1998) Prospective magnetic resonance imaging identification of focal cortical dysplasia, including the non-balloon cell subtype. Ann Neurol 44:749–757PubMedCrossRef

49.

Bronen RA, Vives KP, Kim JH, Fulbright RK, Spencer SS, Spencer DD (1997) Focal cortical dysplasia of Taylor, balloon cell subtype: MR differentiation from low-grade tumors. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 18:1141–1151PubMed

50.

Lee BC, Schmidt RE, Hatfield GA, Bourgeois B, Park TS (1998) MRI of focal cortical dysplasia. Neuroradiology 40:675–683PubMedCrossRef

51.

Barkovich AJ, Kuzniecky RI, Bollen AW, Grant PE (1997) Focal transmantle dysplasia: a specific malformation of cortical development. Neurology 49:1148–1152PubMed

52.

Daumas-Duport C, Scheithauer BW, Chodkiewicz JP, Laws ER Jr, Vedrenne C (1988) Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor: a surgically curable tumor of young patients with intractable partial seizures. Report of thirty-nine cases. Neurosurgery 23:545–556PubMedCrossRef

53.

Fernandez C, Girard N, Paz Paredes A, Bouvier-Labit C, Lena G, Figarella-Branger D (2003) The usefulness of MR imaging in the diagnosis of dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor in children: a study of 14 cases. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 24:829–834PubMed

54.

Tampieri D, Moumdjian R, Melanson D, Ethier R (1991) Intracerebral gangliogliomas in patients with partial complex seizures: CT and MR imaging findings. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 12:749–755PubMed

55.

Provenzale JM, Ali U, Barboriak DP, Kallmes DF, Delong DM, McLendon RE (2000) Comparison of patient age with MR imaging features of gangliogliomas. AJR Am J Roentgenol 174:859–862PubMed

56.

Luyken C, Blumcke I, Fimmers R et al (2003) The spectrum of long-term epilepsy-associated tumors: long-term seizure and tumor outcome and neurosurgical aspects. Epilepsia 44:822–830PubMedCrossRef

57.

Awad I, Jabbour P (2006) Cerebral cavernous malformations and epilepsy. Neurosurg Focus 21:e7PubMedCrossRef

58.

Knake S, Triantafyllou C, Wald LL et al (2005) 3T phased array MRI improves the presurgical evaluation in focal epilepsies: a prospective study. Neurology 65:1026–1031PubMedCrossRef

59.

Moore KR, Funke ME, Constantino T, Katzman GL, Lewine JD (2002) Magnetoencephalographically directed review of high-spatial-resolution surface-coil MR images improves lesion detection in patients with extratemporal epilepsy. Radiology 225:880–887PubMedCrossRef

60.

Lee DH (2006) High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), surface coil MRI, and magnetoencephalography. Adv Neurol 97:279–283PubMed

Title: Structural magnetic resonance imaging in epilepsy
Authors: Karel Deblaere
Eric Achten
Publication date: 01-01-2008
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: European Radiology / Issue 1/2008
Print ISSN: 0938-7994
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1084
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-007-0710-2

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Structural magnetic resonance imaging in epilepsy

Abstract

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2008

Detection of peritoneal dissemination in gynecological malignancy: evaluation by diffusion-weighted MR imaging

Delineation and segmentation of cerebral tumors by mapping blood-brain barrier disruption with dynamic contrast-enhanced CT and tracer kinetics modeling–a feasibility study

CT colonography: optimisation, diagnostic performance and patient acceptability of reduced-laxative regimens using barium-based faecal tagging

False-negative results after stereotactically guided vacuum biopsy

Value of Micronester coils in port-catheter implantation for continuous hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy with fixed catheter tip method

Comparison of whole-body 64-slice multidetector computed tomography and conventional radiography in staging of multiple myeloma