Epilepsy caused by hippocampal sclerosis

Abstract

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS) is one of the most distinct epileptic diseases/ syndromes with defined underlying hippocampal pathology shown on MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), clinical seizure types and postresection seizure relief. The purpose of this paper is to describe MTLE-HS diagnostic procedures, therapeutic approach and compare the results from the County Hospital in Targu Mures and the medical literature. A total number of 1467 epileptic cases (spanning from 2005 to 2010) were extracted from the archive from which 3 patients (2 females and 1 male) were diagnosed with MTLE-HS. No suggestive pathological history was found for these patients, diagnostic procedures were consistent with those in the medical literature. Seizure types were partial complex seizures and secondarily generalized seizures. The therapeutic approach consisted of antiepileptic drugs, opposed to cases from medical literature, where first line therapy was surgery. Diagnosing MTLE-HS is important, because in more than half of cases this type of epilepsy is refractory to antiepileptic drugs.