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Objective: Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are the second most common vascular anomaly affecting the CNS in children. Although stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been proposed as an alternative to microsurgery in the management of selected cases in adults, there is a paucity of studies focusing on pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to present the outcomes and associated risks of SRS in this subgroup of patients., Methods: This retrospective multicenter study included pediatric patients treated with single-session SRS for CCMs. The annual hemorrhage rate (AHR) was calculated before and after SRS in hemorrhagic lesions. The Engel classification was used to describe post-SRS epileptic control. Adverse radiation effects (AREs) and the occurrence of new neurological deficits were recorded., Results: The study included 50 patients (median age 15.1 [IQR 5.6] years) harboring 62 CCMs. Forty-two (84%) and 22 (44%) patients had a history of hemorrhage or epilepsy prior to SRS, respectively. The AHR from diagnosis to SRS excluding the first hemorrhage was 7.19 per 100 CCM-years, dropping to 3.15 per 100 CCM-years after treatment. The cumulative risk of first hemorrhage after SRS was 7.4% (95% CI 0%-14.3%) at 5 years and 23.6% (95% CI 0%-42.2%) at 10 years. Eight hemorrhagic events involving 6 CCMs in 6 patients were recorded in the post-SRS follow-up period; 4 patients presented with transient symptoms and 4 with permanent symptoms. Of the 22 patients with pre-SRS seizures, 11 were seizure free at the last follow-up (Engel class I), 6 experienced improvement (Engel class II or III), 5 had no improvement (Engel class IVA or IVB), and 1 experienced worsening (Engel class IVC). Radiographic AREs were documented in 14.5% (9/62) of CCMs, with 4 being symptomatic., Conclusions: Single-session SRS reduces the CCM hemorrhage rate in the pediatric population and provides adequate seizure control.

Objective: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been proposed as an alternative to resection for epilepsy control in patients with cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM) located in critical areas., Methods: This multicentric, retrospective study evaluated seizure control in patients with a solitary CCM and a history of at least one seizure prior to SRS., Results: 109 patients (median age at diagnosis 28.9 years, interquartile range (IQR) 16.4 years] were included. Prior to SRS, 2 (1.8%) were seizure-free without medication, 35 (32.1%) were seizure-free with antiseizure medications (ASM), 17 (15.6%) experienced an improvement of at least 50% in seizure frequency/intensity with ASM, and 55 (50.5%) experienced an improvement of less than 50% in seizure frequency/intensity with ASM. At a median follow-up of 3.5 years post-SRS (IQR: 4.9), 52 (47.7%) patients were Engel class I, 13 (11.9%) class II, 17 (15.6%) class III, 22 (20.2%) class IVA or IVB and 5 (4.6%) class IVC. For the 72 patients who had seizures despite medication prior to SRS, a delay > 1.5 years between epilepsy presentation and SRS decreased the probability to become seizure-free, HR 0.25 (95% CI 0.09-0.66), p = 0.006. The probability of achieving Engel I at the last follow-up was 23.6 (95% CI 12.7-33.1) and 31.3% (95% CI 19.3-50.8) at 2 and 5 years respectively. 27 patients were considered as having drug-resistant epilepsy. At a median follow-up of 3.1 years (IQR: 4.7), 6 (22.2%) of them were Engel I, 3 (11.1%) Engel II, 7 (25.9%) Engel III, 8 (29.6%) Engel IVA or IVB and 3 (11.1%) Engel IVC., Interpretation: 47.7% of patients managed with SRS for solitary CCM presenting with seizures achieved Engel class I at the last follow-up., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)

Stereotactic radiofrequency amygdalohippocampectomy (SAHE) has been modified recently in our center for the therapy of mesial temporal epilepsy (MTLE). It has promising clinical results comparable with microsurgical amygdalohippocampectomy despite smaller volume reduction of the hippocampus. We hypothesized that the extent of perirhinal and entorhinal cortex (PRC, EC) reduction could explain the clinical outcome. Therefore, we performed, retrospectively, volumetric analysis of PRC and EC and compared it with the seizure control. Twenty-six consecutive patients with MTLE treated by SAHE were included. PRC and EC volumes were measured from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) records obtained before and 1 year after SAHE. The clinical outcome was assessed each year after SAHE using Engel's classification. Twenty-six patients were analyzed. The volume of PRC decreased by 46 ± 17% (p < 10); EC volume decreased by 56 ± 20% (p < 10). Two years after the procedure, 73% of patients were classified as Engel's I, 19% as Engel's II; in 2 (8%) the treatment failed (were reoperated). Eighteen patients finished 3 years follow-up; 72% of them were classified as Engel's I, 17% as Engel's II, and in 2 (11%) above-mentioned patients the treatment failed. Thirteen patients finished 4 years of follow-up, 11 of them as Engel's I. There was no significant correlation of the clinical outcome to PRC and EC volume reductions. The clinical effect of SAHE is not clearly explained by the volume reductions of PRC and EC (nor of the hippocampus and the amygdala). It promotes opinion that the extent of resection/destruction is not important for seizure outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article is the first prospective documentation of the efficacy and safety of gamma knife surgery (GKS) in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsies of mesial temporal lobe origin. Methods: From July 1996 to March 2000, three European centers selected 21 patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) for a temporal lobectomy. The preoperative investigations included video-EEG with foramen ovale electrodes, magnetic resonance imaging, neuropsychological testing, and the ESI-55 quality-of-life questionnaire. In place of a cortectomy, radiosurgical treatment was performed by using the Leksell Gamma Knife (LGK) at a dose of 24 ± 1 Gy at the margin. The target included the anterior parahippocampal cortex and the basal and lateral part of the amygdala and anterior hippocampus (head and body). One patient (a heavy smoker) died of a myocardial infarction. Twenty patients were available for prospective evaluation. A minimum 2-year follow-up period included clinical, neuropsychological, and radiologic evaluations. Results: At each 6-month follow-up evaluation, the frequency of seizures was significantly smaller than that at the previous visit. The median seizure frequency of 6.16 the month before treatment was reduced to 0.33 at 2 years after treatment. At 2 years, 65% of the patients (13 of 20) were seizure free. Five patients had transient side effects, including depression, headache, nausea, vomiting, and imbalance. There was no permanent neurological deficit reported except nine visual field deficits. No neuropsychological deterioration was observed 2 years after treatment. The quality of life was significantly better than that before surgery. Conclusions: The safety and efficacy of the radiosurgical treatment of MTLEs appears good in this group of patient over short-to-middle term. Delay of the seizure cessation was the major disadvantage of GKS. A longer follow-up period is required for confirmation of these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Temporal lobe surgery bears the risk of a decline of neuropsychological functions. Stereotactic radiofrequency amygdalohippocampectomy (SAHE) represents an alternative to mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) surgery. This study compared neuropsychological results with MRI volumetry of the residual hippocampus. We included 35 patients with drug-resistant MTLE treated by SAHE. MRI volumetry and neuropsychological examinations were performed before and 1 year after SAHE. Each year after SAHE clinical seizure outcome was assessed. One year after SAHE 77% of patients were assessed as Engel Class I, 14% of patients was classified as Engel II and in 9% of patients treatment failed. Two years after SAHE 76% of subjects were classified as Engel Class I, 15% of patients was assessed as Engel II and in 9% of patients treatment failed. Hippocampal volume reduction was 58±17% on the left and 54±27% on the right side. One year after SAHE, intelligence quotients of treated patients increased. Patients showed significant improvement in verbal memory (p =0.039) and the semantic long-term memory subtest (LTM) (p =0.003). Patients treated on the right side improved in verbal memory, delayed recall and LTM. No changes in memory were found in patients treated on the left side. There was a trend between the larger extent of the hippocampal reduction and improvement in visual memory in speech-side operated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]