Quality of life in patients with symptomatic epilepsy due to neurocysticercosis.

BACKGROUND: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a common cause of late-onset epilepsy worldwide, but there is still minimal information regarding its impact on a patient's quality of life. This study evaluated quality of life in a series of patients with epilepsy secondary to NCC using the QOLIE (Quality of Life in Epilepsy)-31 questionnaire. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study included 155 Peruvian patients between 16 and 70 years of age with epilepsy due to viable intraparenchymal NCC, who enrolled in two trials of anti-parasitic treatment during the period 2006-2011. The QOLIE-31 questionnaire was applied before the onset of anti-parasitic treatment. The associations between QOLIE-31 scores, sociodemographic characteristics, clinical, and neuroimaging data were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis test and generalized linear models (GLM). RESULTS: The average QOLIE-31 score was 55.8 (SD ±â€¯7.6), with 119 individuals (76.8%) scoring in the poor quality-of-life category. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures and secondarily generalized epileptic seizures were associated with a lower QOLIE-31, as well as a low level of education with a value of p = 0.05. There were no associations between QOLIE-31 scores and other variables such as sex, age, antiepileptic medication, number of parasitic cysts, and number of compromised brain regions. On multivariate analysis, a greater number of generalized epileptic seizures maintained a statistically significant association with detrimental QOLIE-31 scores. CONCLUSION: Quality of life is affected in NCC, mainly in relation to the number of prior generalized epileptic seizures.

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.

Clinical topography relationship in patients with parenchymal neurocysticercosis and seizures.

OBJECTIVE: Discordances between imaging findings of parenchymal neurocysticercosis and seizure expression have been reported, and as such the possibility that neurocysticercosis and seizures may frequently coexist by chance has been raised. In this study, we evaluate the topographic relationship between seizure foci based on semiology and electroencephalography with the location of parenchymal neurocysticercotic lesions. METHODS: Seizure information, neuroimaging (computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) and electroencephalographic data from three randomized clinical trials of individuals with parenchymal neurocysticercosis and focal seizures were analyzed. Blinded epileptologists defined a potential seizure onset zone and a symptomatogenic zone for each individual based on semiology. The topographic relationship between semiology, either lesion location or areas of perilesional edema on baseline MRI, and electroencephalographic abnormalities were assessed. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients with one or two parenchymal neurocysticercotic lesions were included in this study. From them, 50 patients (86%; 95% CI, 75%-93%) showed a clinical-topography relationship with the potential seizure onset zone, and 44 (76%) also with the symptomatogenic zone. From the eight patients with no topographic relationship, five had focal seizures 30 days before or after the baseline MRI and showed perilesional edema. All of these five patients showed a clinical-topography relationship between such seizures and an area of perilesional edema, making a total of 55 patients (95%; 95% CI, 85%-99%) with clinical-topography relationship when perilesional edema is considered. Most patients with focal epileptiform discharges (7/8, 88%) had a topographic association between electroencephalographic focality, the potential seizure onset zone and a cysticercotic lesion. CONCLUSION: Seizure semiology and focal epileptiform discharges are topographically related to neurocysticercotic lesions in most patients. These data strongly support seizure origin in the cortex surrounding these lesions.

La cirugía de epilepsia y el establecimiento de programas quirúrgicos en el Perú: El proyecto de colaboración entre Perú y Canadá / Establishing epilepsy surgery programs in Peru: The Peru-Canada collaborative project

El presente artículo define y describe las características clínicas de epilepsia refractaria, la cirugía aplicable al manejo de la misma y la necesidad de establecer centros para el manejo integral de estos pacientes en el Perú. Además, describe los inicios de la cirugía de epilepsia en el Perú, su desarrollo paulatino y el proyecto de colaboración asistencial y educativo entre los programas de epilepsia de la Western University en London, Ontario, Canadá y el Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Neurológicas, así como el Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati en Lima, Perú.

The manuscript describes and defines the clinical characteristics of Refractory Epilepsy, applicable surgical procedures for its management and the need for the establishment of comprehensive epilepsy programs in Peru. It also describes the beginnings of epilepsy surgery in Peru, and the collaborative project between the Epilepsy programs at Western University in London, Canada and the National Neurological Institute and Rebagliati Hospital in Lima, Peru.

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.