Postsurgical Outcomes of Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy due to Hippocampal Sclerosis Associated with Calcified Neurocysticercosis.

The aim of this study was to analyze postsurgical outcomes for individuals with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS) who underwent anterior temporal lobectomy, based on the presence of calcified neurocysticercosis (cNCC). A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 89 patients with MTLE-HS who underwent anterior temporal lobectomy between January 2012 and December 2020 at a basic epilepsy surgery center located in Lima, Peru. We collected sociodemographic, clinical, and diagnostic information. The postsurgical results were analyzed using bivariate analysis according to the Engel classification. We included 89 individuals with a median age of 28 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 24-37), and more than half (55.1%) were male. Seventeen (19.1%) were diagnosed with cNCC. A greater number of patients with cNCC had lived in rural areas of Peru during their early life compared with those without cNCC (12 [70.6%] versus 26 [36.1%]; P = 0.010). Patients with cNCC exhibited a greater median frequency of focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures per month (1 [IQR: 0-2] versus 0 [0-0.5]; P = 0.009). Conversely, a lower proportion of patients with cNCC reported a history of an initial precipitating injury in comparison to the group without cNCC (4 [23.5%] versus 42 [58.3%]; P = 0.014). At the 1-year follow-up, most patients (82.4%) with cNCC were categorized as Engel IA. Similarly, at the 2-year follow-up, nine (75.0%) were classified as Engel IA. Our findings suggest that most patients diagnosed with cNCC exhibit favorable postsurgical outcomes, comparable to those without cNCC. Additionally, it can be postulated that cNCC may play a role as an initial precipitating injury.

Establishment of epilepsy surgery in Peru.

Epilepsy surgery is a well-established treatment for certain types of intractable epilepsy. While there is a relatively high number of epilepsy surgery centers in Canada and the United States, the same cannot be said about many other parts of the world, such as South America. Although there are notable exceptions, such as Brazil and Colombia, formal epilepsy surgery centers have been lacking in many South American countries, including Peru. Although sporadic cases have been performed in Peru, there was no formal epilepsy surgery center in the country as of 2011. Beginning in 2008, with the support of the Partnering Epilepsy Centers in America program of the North American Commission of the International League Against Epilepsy, the Epilepsy Program at Western University in London, Canada, was partnered with the Department of Epilepsy at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Neurologicas in Lima. This was the beginning of a long-term relationship that culminated in the establishment of the first 2 formal epilepsy surgery centers in Peru. The purpose of this communication is to briefly summarize the establishment of 2 independent epilepsy surgery programs in Peru and to document the methods with which this accomplishment was achieved.

Reporte del primer caso de lobectomía para el tratamiento de epilepsia refractaria de lóbulo temporal en el Perú / Report of the first case of lobectomy for the treatment of refractory temporal lobe epilepsy in Peru

Se presenta el caso de una paciente con epilepsia refractaria de lóbulo temporal debida a esclerosis mesial temporal, sometida a la primera lobectomía temporal efectuada en el Perú. El resultado ha sido exitoso, ya que la paciente continúa libre de crisis convulsivas después de más de 4 años de periodo post-operatorio. Se comentan las implicaciones de lo que puede constituir un hito en la historia de la neurología y neurocirugía en el Perú.

The case of a female patient with the diagnosis of refractory temporal lobe epilepsy due to mesial temporal sclerosis is presented. She underwent temporal lobectomy, the first intervention of this type performed in Peru. The outcome has been successful, as the patient remains seizure-free four years into her post-surgical period. The implications of what may be considered a landmark in the history of neurology and neurosurgery in Peru are commented upon.

Estado epiléptico convulsivo en adultos atendidos en el Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Neurológicas de Lima, Perú 2011-2013. / Convulsive status epilepticus in adults attending the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Neurológicas in Lima, Perú 2011-2013.

Objetivos: describir las características clínicas y la evolución del estado epiléptico convulsivo (EEC) en pacientes adultos admitidos en el Servicio de Emergencia del Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Neurológicas de Lima, Perú entre los años 2011 y 2013. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio prospectivo de serie de casos. Resultados: Se incluyeron 28 pacientes mayores de 17 años, la mediana de edad fue 31 años. El 57% fueron hombres y el 89% tenían antecedentes de epilepsia. La principal causa del EEC fue el incumplimiento de la medicación antiepiléptica (54%). El diazepam seguido de la fenitoína fue el tratamiento antiepiléptico más empleado (75%) y la frecuencia de EEC refractario fue del 4%. Conclusiones: los pacientes fueron mayoritariamente varones, adultos jóvenes, con antecedentes de epilepsia que presentaron un EEC debido el incumplimiento de la medicación antiepiléptica y respondieron favorablemente al tratamiento con diazepam seguido de fenitoína.

Objectives: to describe the characteristics features and outcome of convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) in adult patients admitted to the Emergency Department at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Neurológicas in Lima, Peru between 2011 and 2013. Methods: a prospective study was conducted. Results: twenty-eight patients older than 17 years were included, the median age was 31 years old. 57% were male and 89% had a history of epilepsy. Main cause of CSE was antiepileptic medication noncompliance (54%). Diazepam followed by phenytoin was the most used therapeutic regimen (75%) and the frequency of refractory CSE was 4%. Conclusion: patients were mostly male, young adults with a history of epilepsy who presented a CSE caused by the antiepileptic medication noncompliance and the response to treatment based on diazepam followed by phenytoin was positive.

A collaborative effort to establish a comprehensive epilepsy program in Peru.

We report the achievements obtained, over a period of 4 years, by the collaborative partnering effort of the Epilepsy Program at Western University in Canada and the Instituto of Ciencias Neurologicas in Lima, Peru, building an epilepsy program in Peru.