[MRI hippocampal volumetric measurements in benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spike(s) and temporal lobe epilepsy of childhood onset].

Benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spike(s) (BCECT) is characterized by rolandic discharges (RD) on EEG. As the origin of RD, the lower rolandic cortex was proposed by Lombroso, but recently the hippocampus was proposed by some reports, based on the character of RD or the pharmacological effects of anticonvulsants. On the other hand, MRI hippocampal volumetric measurements revealed the relationship between the hippocampal atrophy and EEG foci in intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) of adults, but there are a few reports of the hippocampal volumetric study in children. Therefore, in this paper, we reported about MRI hippocampal volumetric measurements in BCECT and TLE of childhood onset. The statistical examination was performed by t-test. MRI hippocampal volumetric measurements were performed in 27 cases with BCECT (6-19 years, 9.9 +/- 2.7 years, 11 males, 16 females), 22 cases with TLE (5-22 years, 12.9 +/- 5.5 years, 15 males, 7 females) and 17 normal control subjects (6-15 years, 10.4 +/- 2.7 years, 10 males, 7 females). The age was not significantly different among the 3 groups. The clinical course of TLE group was significantly longer than BCECT group, but the onset age of epilepsy was not significantly different between the 2 groups. The hippocampal volume and the right-side minus left-side volume were not significantly different in 3 groups, but these values of TLE were more scattered than the others. There was no abnormal signal intensity in hippocampus on MRI, or no specific abnormality in the surrounding structures in 3 groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)