Extratemporal abnormalities in adults with unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy: A diffusion tensor imaging study
Aims objectives: To analyse the fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (ADC) of various white matter tracts and the deep grey matter of unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy patients with age matched controls. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in the department of Radiology, Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College, Salem. This study was done as an analytic, prospective case control study for a period of 2 years from September 2017 to August 2019. Patients with a clinical picture of temporal lobe epilepsy, with either structural abnormalities in temporal lobe on MR imaging or EEG consistent with temporal lobe epilepsy were included. Our control group consisted of 30 adults. Imaging protocol: The examinations were performed in 1.5T Philips MRI system. Results: Abnormalities are seen extensively bilaterally in the extra temporal grey and white matter, both ipsilateral and contralateral to the seizure origin. Conclusion: The findings strongly suggest that microstructural abnormalities are not only restricted to the seizure focus, but also involve ipsilateral and contralateral grey and white matter extensively.