Benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes and hippocampal atrophy

Epilepsia. 1999 Sep;40(9):1312-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1999.tb00864.x.

Abstract

A boy without significant family or personal history had three consecutive nocturnal seizures at 1-month intervals at age 10 years, all simple focal seizures with motor and sensory symptoms, the last with secondary generalization. Waking and napping EEG showed focal sharp changes typical of benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS). A magnetic resonance imaging documented a marked right hippocampal atrophy (HA). After valproic acid (VPA) therapy, there were no more seizures, and there were fewer EEG changes. An EEG performed in the younger, fully asymptomatic 8-year-old sister documented unilateral right focal sharp waves. This case shows that HA, as well as other central nervous system lesions, can be found fortuitously in patients with BECTS.

MeSH terms

  • Atrophy / pathology
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiopathology*
  • Child
  • Electroencephalography / statistics & numerical data*
  • Epilepsy, Rolandic / diagnosis*
  • Epilepsy, Rolandic / pathology
  • Epilepsy, Rolandic / physiopathology
  • Hippocampus / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Temporal Lobe / physiopathology
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Valproic Acid / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Valproic Acid