Temporal PLGG and epilepsy

Abstract

Temporal lobe epilepsy in children is often secondary to various low-grade glial and glioneural tumors and rarely secondary to mesial temporal sclerosis. Despite the benign nature, tumor-associated TLE in children often becomes refractory over time. Abundant literature has shown the significant advantage of tumor resection compared to conservative treatment, in achieving seizure control, as well as the rates of antiseizure medication reduction. Despite these advantages, several considerations are to be related to when considering surgery. These include the impact of surgery on linguistic and neurocognitive development, especially at the younger age; the extent of resection and the role of ECoG; and the need for mesial temporal resection. Over recent years, traditional resection has been complemented with newer treatment options such as laser ablation and biological treatment, and these should be taken into account depending on the exact location and the ability to perform extensive resection in eloquent regions. In this overview manuscript, we discuss the various considerations treating tumor-associated pediatric temporal epilepsy.