TY - JOUR
T1 - Surgical management of cerebral cavernous angiomas causing epilepsy
AU - Acciarri, N.
AU - Giulioni, M.
AU - Padovani, R.
AU - Galassi, E.
AU - Gaist, G.
PY - 1995
Y1 - 1995
N2 - Epilepsy is the most frequent presenting symptom in patients with cerebral cavernous angiomas. Surgical removal of these vascular malformations causing epilepsy is usually recommended for patients with disabling, intractable seizures, while conservative management is indicated for neurologically intact patients with well controlled seizures. In this paper is reported a retrospective series of 36 patients suffering epilepsy from cerebral cavernous angiomas, and admitted at our Institution between 1975 and 1992. All patients were surgically treated; mortality and morbidity were absent. The mean follow-up period was 5.9 years, since the 36 patients were alive and available for a control review in December, 1993. Seizure outcome of the patients resulted in a complete cure of the epileptic disorders in 9 (25%), improved seizure control with decreased medication in 11 others (30.5%), and epilepsy control with the same preoperative therapy in the remaining 16 (44.5%) patients. Furthermore, patients with preoperative neurological signs associated to epilepsy resulted improved. The authors conclude that surgery, where it is unlikely to cause neurological deficits, may allow a definitive cure of epilepsy in patients with cerebral cavernous angiomas, preventing the possible risks from hemorrhage and mass effect.
AB - Epilepsy is the most frequent presenting symptom in patients with cerebral cavernous angiomas. Surgical removal of these vascular malformations causing epilepsy is usually recommended for patients with disabling, intractable seizures, while conservative management is indicated for neurologically intact patients with well controlled seizures. In this paper is reported a retrospective series of 36 patients suffering epilepsy from cerebral cavernous angiomas, and admitted at our Institution between 1975 and 1992. All patients were surgically treated; mortality and morbidity were absent. The mean follow-up period was 5.9 years, since the 36 patients were alive and available for a control review in December, 1993. Seizure outcome of the patients resulted in a complete cure of the epileptic disorders in 9 (25%), improved seizure control with decreased medication in 11 others (30.5%), and epilepsy control with the same preoperative therapy in the remaining 16 (44.5%) patients. Furthermore, patients with preoperative neurological signs associated to epilepsy resulted improved. The authors conclude that surgery, where it is unlikely to cause neurological deficits, may allow a definitive cure of epilepsy in patients with cerebral cavernous angiomas, preventing the possible risks from hemorrhage and mass effect.
KW - angioma, cavernous
KW - epilepsy
KW - seizures
KW - surgical therapy
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M3 - Article
C2 - 8568551
AN - SCOPUS:0028785798
VL - 39
SP - 13
EP - 20
JO - Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences
JF - Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences
SN - 0026-4881
IS - 1
ER -