Abstract
Olfactory epileptic auras were not common and had usually associated with temporal lobe tumors of the brain in some literatures. This study presented the MRI findings of the seizure patients with the aura of this type to see if the temporal lobe tumors were actually the main pathological findings. From 1987 to 1998, there were 217 patients received epilepsy surgery in our hospital. We identified 12 patients with olfactory epileptic aura (5.5%), 11 of whom received MRI examinations. We analyzed the location and extension of the brain lesions by MR techniques and correlated the MRI findings with the clinical data and pathological diagnosis. Twelve patients with olfactory aura included seven men and five women. The age distribution was from 18 to 46 years old (mean: 29.6). An AVM was found in a patient who just received post-contrast CT scan examination and angiogram. No MRI was done for him and he received lesionectomy. MRI showed lesions in the temporal regions of the brain in ten patients, 6 on right side and 4 on left side. Mesial temporal sclerosis (pathology: gliosis) was noted in 6 patients and tumor growth in 4 patients (2 low grade astrocytomas, 1 anaplastic astrocytoma and 1 glioblastoma multiforme). The only one with negative MRI presentation showed decreased NAA level in left mesial temporal regions on MR spectroscopy and received left side anterior temporal lobectomy. According to the MRI findings, there were 8 patients (71.7%) with the lesion involvement to the hippocampus and 6 patients (54.5%) to the amygdala. After surgery, 8 of them became seizure free, significant decreased seizure frequency was noted in 3 patients and the patient with glioblastoma multiforme was expired. MRI is the imaging modality of choice to demonstrate the location and extension of brain lesions in seizure patients with olfactory aura. Temporal lobe tumors of the brain were not the main pathological findings and mesial temporal sclerosis was more common for these patients.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 245-250 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Chinese Journal of Radiology |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 5 |
State | Published - Oct 2002 |
Keywords
- Brain
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Seizures