Low-grade epilepsy-associated tumors: Epilepsy outcome and antiseizure medication discontinuation after lesionectomies as first-line surgical approach in pediatric population

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate epilepsy outcome and antiseizure medication (ASM) discontinuation after lesionectomies as first surgical approach in pediatric population diagnosed with low-grade epilepsy-associated neuroepithelial tumors (LEATs).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study. Thirty-six consecutive patients with histological diagnoses of LEATs who underwent surgery between 2018 and 2021 at our institution were included. The clinical and surgical data were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

Thirty (83.3%) of 36 patients are free of disabling seizures (Engel class I) and 19 (63,4%) of them are classified as Engel Ia. In 17 (47.2%) patients, ASM could be discontinued. The mean age at surgery was 8.6 years (±4.04) and the mean age at onset of epilepsy was 7.2 years (±3.8), whereas the mean duration of epilepsy in months at the time of surgery was 21.3 months (±23.7). The epileptogenic tumor was in the temporal lobe in 20 (55.5%) patients. Because of seizure persistence, a second or a third surgery was necessary for six patients (16.7%) and four of them had residual lesions (three in temporal and one in extratemporal site). No perioperative complications were recorded, including acute seizures, with a median hospitalization time of 7 days. Shorter epilepsy duration at time of surgery as long as a single ASM was significantly correlated with an Engel class I outcome (p-value = .01 and p-value = .016, respectively). Focal seizure semeiology was associated with an increased probability of antiseizure medication discontinuation (p-value = .042).

Significance

Our findings confirm that shorter epilepsy disease duration, monotherapy before surgery, and seizure semeiology are determinant factors for a positive seizure outcome and medication discontinuation, also with less invasive surgical approaches such as lesionectomies. However, considering the intrinsic multifactorial epileptogenic nature of LEATs, a tailored surgical approach should be considered to optimize clinical and seizure outcome, especially for lesions located in the temporal lobe.