Computed tomography in chronic seizure disorder caused by glioma
K. M. Rich, S. Goldring and M. Gado
Since the introduction of computed tomography (CT) in 1974, 137 patients
underwent cortical resection for intractable epilepsy. The CT scans of 32
of these patients demonstrated an isolated calcified or hypodense lesion of
unknown origin. The mean interval from onset of the seizure disorder to
surgery was 11 years. The referring physicians frequently considered these
lesions to be of nonneoplastic origin, which usually delayed surgical
management. Twenty-six of the 32 patients, however, proved to have a
cerebral glioma, seven showing anaplastic changes. Because the majority of
these patients were found to have a neoplasm and especially because the CT
scan could not distinguish between a well-differentiated glioma and those
with anaplastic changes, we recommend early surgical treatment in patients
with chronic seizure disorders who are found to have an isolated lesion of
unknown origin on CT scan.
