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IntroductionGanglioglioma (GG) patients often present with seizures. Although most patients can be seizure-free after tumor resection, some still experience seizures. The present study aimed to analyze a group of GGs patients associated with epilepsy and evaluate the seizure outcomes and prognostic factors.MethodsThis retrospective study involved clinical data collected from medical records of patients diagnosed with GG pathologically and underwent surgical resection in Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University. The seizure outcomes were evaluated based on the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) seizure outcome classification. The prognostic factors were identified according to univariate and multivariate analysis.ResultsA total of 222 patients were included, with a mean age at surgery of 19.19 ± 10.93 years. All patients were followed up at least for one year with a mean follow-up duration of 6.28 ± 3.17 years. At the final follow-up, 174 (78.4%) patients achieved ILAE Class 1 or 2. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that the short duration of seizures and gross total resection were significant positive factors for seizure-free. Bilateral interictal or ictal epileptiform discharges in preoperative video-electroencephalogram (VEEG) were related to poor seizure outcomes.ConclusionSurgical resection is an effective treatment for patients with epilepsy associated with GGs. The analysis of predictive factors could effectively guide clinical practice and evaluate the prognosis of epilepsy with GG.

ObjectiveIctal semiology is a fundamental part of the presurgical evaluation of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. We aimed to identify different anatomical and semiologic subgroups in temporal lobe seizures, and investigate the correlation between them.MethodsWe enrolled 93 patients for whom stereoelectroencephalography exploration indicated that the seizure-onset zone was within the temporal lobe. Ictal signs and concomitant stereoelectroencephalography changes were carefully reviewed and quantified, and then cluster analysis and the Kendall correlation test were used to associate ictal signs with the temporal structures of patients.ResultsClustering analysis identified two main groups of temporal structures. Group 1 consisted of the medial temporal lobe structures and the temporal pole, which were divided into two subgroups. Group 1A included the hippocampal head, hippocampal body, and amygdala, and this subgroup correlated significantly with oroalimentary automatisms, feeling of fear, and epigastric auras. Group 1B included the hippocampal tail, temporal pole, and parahippocampal gyrus, and this subgroup correlated significantly with manual and oroalimentary automatisms. Group 2 consisted of the cortical structures of the temporal lobe and was also divided into two subgroups. Group 2A included the superior and middle temporal gyrus, correlated significantly with bilateral rictus/facial contraction, generalized tonic–clonic seizure, and manual automatisms. Group 2B included Heschl's gyrus, the inferior temporal gyrus, and the fusiform gyrus, and this subgroup correlated significantly with auditory auras, focal hypokinetics, unilateral upper and lower limbs tonic posture/clonic signs, head/eye deviation, unilateral versive signs, and generalized tonic–clonic seizure.SignificanceThe temporal structures can be categorized according to the level at which each structure participates in seizures, and different anatomical subgroups can be correlated with different ictal signs. Identifying specific semiologic features can help us localize the epileptogenic zone and thus develop stereoelectroencephalography electrode implantation and surgical resection protocols for patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Besides gelastic seizures, hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) is also noted for its susceptibility to remote secondary epileptogenesis. Although clinical observations have demonstrated its existence, and a three-stage theory has been proposed, how to determine whether a remote symptom is spontaneous or dependent on epileptic activities of HH is difficult in some cases. Herein, we report a case of new non-gelastic seizures in a 9-year-old female associated with a postoperatively remaining HH. Electrophysiological examinations and stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) demonstrated seizure onsets with slow-wave and fast activities on the outside of the HH. By using computational methodologies to calculate the network dynamic effective connectivities, the importance of HH in the epileptic network was revealed. After SEEG-guided thermal coagulation of the remaining HH, the patient finally was seizure-free at the 2-year follow-up. This case showed the ability of computational methods to reveal information underlying complex SEEG signals, and further demonstrated the dependent-stage secondary epileptogenesis, which has been rarely reported.