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5 - What Are Common Epilepsy Imaging Findings in New Onset and Chronic Epilepsy Care?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 January 2023

Patrick Landazuri ,
Nuria Lacuey Lecumberri ,
Laura Vilella Bertran ,
Mark Farrenburg  and
Samden Lhatoo
Patrick Landazuri
Affiliation:
University of Kansas Medical Centre
Nuria Lacuey Lecumberri
Affiliation:
University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
Laura Vilella Bertran
Affiliation:
University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
Mark Farrenburg
Affiliation:
University of Kansas Medical Centre
Samden Lhatoo
Affiliation:
University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
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Summary

The use of imaging in epilepsy care is a powerful tool to show a patient why they have epilepsy. You can use it to correlate your semiology history with an imaging finding. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most widely used modality for epilepsy care. Ordering an epilepsy protocol MRI on a 3 Tesla (3T) machine increases the likelihood of finding an epilepsy’s etiology. Common findings include stroke, tumor (i.e., ganglioglioma), hippocampal sclerosis, encephalocele, cortical dysplasia, heterotopia, polymicrogyria, or cavernoma. For MRI-negative epilepsy, additional tests to identify the epileptogenic region include PET (positron emission tomography) and SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography). Functional MRI (fMRI) can delineate brain areas critical for specific functions.Lastly, the use of CT (computed tomography) is limited to identification of acute findings like hemorrhage and tumors in new onset seizures.

Keywords

MRItumorhippocampal sclerosisdysplasiaencephalocelecavernomaheterotopiaPETSPECTfMRI
Type
Chapter
Information
Seizure and Epilepsy Care
The Pocket Epileptologist
 , pp. 79 - 101
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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References

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