[Drug-resistant focal epilepsy with normal cranial CT. Electroclinical correlation and magnetic resonance in 45 patients].

Forty-five patients between 15 and 60 years of age with pharmacoresistant focal epilepsy of more than 4 years duration with normal cranial CT were analyzed. Magnetic resonance and sleep EEG were performed. In 82% of the patients epilepsy had initiated prior to 20 years of age with 89% having partial complex crises and 75% also having secondary generalized crises. EEG demonstrated abnormalities in the temporal lobe in 78% of the cases. Activation of the abnormalities was observed during REM sleep in 24% of the patients. MR was pathologic in 38%, with the most frequent finding corresponding to a sole hyperintense T2 signal (76%). A good correlation was observed between the electroclinical findings and MR in 72% of the cases with pathologic MR. Most of these patients should, thus, be considered as candidates for surgical evaluation of their epilepsy.