Clinical Findings in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Associated With Isolated Amygdala Enlargement.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Clinical Findings in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Associated With Isolated Amygdala Enlargement.
Authors: Kirscht, Annika (AUTHOR), Zöllner, Johann Philipp (AUTHOR), Conradi, Nadine (AUTHOR), Neuhaus, Elisabeth (AUTHOR), Hattingen, Elke (AUTHOR), Belke, Marcus (AUTHOR), Knake, Susanne (AUTHOR), Willems, Laurent (AUTHOR), Wichert, Jennifer (AUTHOR), Jansen, Andreas (AUTHOR), Rosenow, Felix (AUTHOR), Strzelczyk, Adam (AUTHOR)
Source: European Journal of Neurology. Jun2025, Vol. 32 Issue 6, p1-12. 12p.
Subjects: Temporal lobe epilepsy, Amygdaloid body, Volume (Cubic content), Volume measurements, Histopathology, Physical diagnosis, Neuropsychological tests
Abstract: Background: Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) infrequently presents with isolated amygdala enlargement (AE), but its relevance remains ambiguous. We therefore investigated clinical, imaging, and histopathological findings in mTLE‐AE compared to non‐lesional mTLE (mTLE‐NL) patients, and additionally strategies for identifying AE. Methods: We detected AE by automated volumetry of otherwise unremarkable magnetic resonance images of mTLE patients, compared with a healthy comparator. Autoimmune inflammation as an AE cause was excluded using the Graus criteria. We compared clinical and neuropsychological variables between mTLE‐AE and mTLE‐NL. Secondary assessment of AE was by neuroradiologist visual detection. Results: Of 63 mTLE patients, 15 had mTLE‐AE. In these, normalized mean volume was 1857.58 mm3 (SD = 207.38) for the left, 1973.09 mm3 (SD = 214.91) for the right amygdala, 2003.34 mm3 (SD = 218.85) for the larger and 1827.34 mm3 (SD = 179.85) for the smaller amygdala. Mean volume in the healthy control subjects was 1853.4 mm3 for the left (SD = 212.44) and 1895.2 mm3 for the right amygdala (SD = 224.29). Clinical parameters including age, sex, epilepsy duration, history of febrile convulsions, drug resistance, neuropsychological performance, surgical outcome, and medications did not differ significantly between mTLE‐AE and mTLE‐NL. Histopathological findings in mTLE‐AE included dysmorphic neurons, potential tumors, and focal cortical dysplasia. Neuroradiologists independently described AE in 37 of 63 mTLE patients. Conclusions: mTLE‐AE has no specific clinical profile compared to non‐lesional mTLE and features diverse underlying pathologies. Volumetric detection appears more conservative than conventional qualitative visual analysis, but may miss cases of subtle AE. Combining automated volumetry with visual assessment may improve AE detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of European Journal of Neurology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Description
Abstract:Background: Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) infrequently presents with isolated amygdala enlargement (AE), but its relevance remains ambiguous. We therefore investigated clinical, imaging, and histopathological findings in mTLE‐AE compared to non‐lesional mTLE (mTLE‐NL) patients, and additionally strategies for identifying AE. Methods: We detected AE by automated volumetry of otherwise unremarkable magnetic resonance images of mTLE patients, compared with a healthy comparator. Autoimmune inflammation as an AE cause was excluded using the Graus criteria. We compared clinical and neuropsychological variables between mTLE‐AE and mTLE‐NL. Secondary assessment of AE was by neuroradiologist visual detection. Results: Of 63 mTLE patients, 15 had mTLE‐AE. In these, normalized mean volume was 1857.58 mm3 (SD = 207.38) for the left, 1973.09 mm3 (SD = 214.91) for the right amygdala, 2003.34 mm3 (SD = 218.85) for the larger and 1827.34 mm3 (SD = 179.85) for the smaller amygdala. Mean volume in the healthy control subjects was 1853.4 mm3 for the left (SD = 212.44) and 1895.2 mm3 for the right amygdala (SD = 224.29). Clinical parameters including age, sex, epilepsy duration, history of febrile convulsions, drug resistance, neuropsychological performance, surgical outcome, and medications did not differ significantly between mTLE‐AE and mTLE‐NL. Histopathological findings in mTLE‐AE included dysmorphic neurons, potential tumors, and focal cortical dysplasia. Neuroradiologists independently described AE in 37 of 63 mTLE patients. Conclusions: mTLE‐AE has no specific clinical profile compared to non‐lesional mTLE and features diverse underlying pathologies. Volumetric detection appears more conservative than conventional qualitative visual analysis, but may miss cases of subtle AE. Combining automated volumetry with visual assessment may improve AE detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:13515101
DOI:10.1111/ene.70225