Temporal epilepsy: clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects
Tellez-Zenteno, J.é F.; Ladino, L.D.
Revista de Neurologia 56(4): 229-242
2013
ISSN/ISBN: 1576-6578 PMID: 23400651 Document Number: 670076
Epilepsy is a common neurological disease with significant public health impact. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is one of the most frequent and complex epilepsies. To review the most important aspects of clinical diagnosis, the use of diagnostic tests, and medical and surgical treatment of TLE. TLE is a well described type of epilepsy. Approximately 40% of patients with TLE develop drug resistant epilepsy. Nowadays, new diagnosis tools have been added for the assessment of patients with TLE that could be candidates for epilepsy surgery. However semiology remains the starting point for the disease understanding and every localizing and lateralizing sign is relevant to understand the potential onset and dissemination of seizures. The combination of tests and semiology is important to decide which cases require intracranial electrodes. The prognosis of epilepsy surgery in TLE is very good and between 60 to 70% of patients rendered seizure free after surgery. The approach to patients with TLE is complex and requires a multidisciplinary team of trained specialists.