Surgical treatment for epilepsy in 17 children with tuberous sclerosis-related West syndrome

Abstract

The efficacy of surgery for the treatment of epilepsy in patients with West syndrome secondary to tuberous sclerosis is unclear. The charts of 17 patients with tuberous sclerosis and secondary West syndrome who underwent a one-stage surgical resection with a combined palliative operative procedure were reviewed. Engel classification was used to classify the patients with regard to seizure status following surgery. After surgery, 11 patients were in Engel class I, 4 in class II, and 2 in class III. The EEG after surgery was normal in 8 patients, significantly improved in 8, and without significant improvement in 1 patient. Six patients had a recurrence of seizures after surgery, which included 3 patients with continuing spasms and 3 patients where the spasms had resolved but had developed either partial seizures or generalized tonic-clonic seizures. There were significant improvements in the Gesell Developmental Schedules for motor field (P=0.003), adaptive field (P=0.003), language field (P=0.033), and personal-social field (P=0.007). Thus, a one-stage surgical approach can be used to produce satisfactory outcomes in young children with tuberous sclerosis who have secondary West syndrome and seizures that do not respond to conventional antiepileptic therapy, even in when there are multiple epileptogenic foci.