Context Febrile seizures may lead to later epilepsy. They have been associated with hippocampal atrophy but their effect on total cerebral volume is unknown.
Objective To compare total cerebral volume in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with and without a history of complex febrile seizures (CFS).
Design Survey.
Setting Epilepsy monitoring center.
Subjects Forty patients with localization-related epilepsy and temporal lobe onset determined by video electroencephalogram and 20 controls.
Intervention Magnetic resonance imaging measurement of cerebral volume.
Main Outcome Measure Total cerebral volume.
Results Patients with a history of CFS had significantly reduced total cerebral volume compared with patients without CFS. In addition, male patients with CFS had significantly lower total cerebral volume than male normal controls. There was no significant difference between patients without CFS, or all patients, and controls.
Conclusion Complex febrile seizures may have a global effect on brain development.
