Surgery for hemispheric malformations of cortical development.

The treatment of patients with hemispheric malformations of cortical development presents a challenging clinical problem that often requires surgical intervention. The development of a safe and effective treatment strategy for these patients requires an extensive work-up with a great deal of attention to a variety of multidisciplinary testing methods. In this article, the authors describe the presurgical evaluation of patients with hemispheric malformations of cortical development and epilepsy and review the surgical techniques currently available. They also detail some of the controversial issues regarding surgical treatment of these patients.