Corpus callosotomy for intractable seizures in the pediatric age group
R. E. Nordgren, A. G. Reeves, A. C. Viguera and D. W. Roberts
Section of Neurology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, NH 03756.
The results of corpus callosotomy in 18 patients 16 years old and younger
are presented. Eighty-three percent of our patients have had a significant
improvement from the surgery (a decrease in seizure frequency of greater
than 80% or no longer having generalized atonic, tonic, or tonic-clonic
seizures). The procedure seems to be well tolerated in young patients, and
we have not noted a postoperative deterioration in behavior, memory, or
language function in our patients. One of our patients died in status
epilepticus 3 months after surgery. Nevertheless, we have not encountered
any serious morbidity in our other patients. Corpus callosotomy can be
considered for children with intractable seizures, especially when
generalized atonic, tonic, or tonic-clonic (whether primary or secondary)
seizures are the major seizure type.
