MR in temporal lobe epilepsy: early childhood onset versus later onset.

PURPOSE To study the relationship between the MR findings and the clinical features in temporal lobe epilepsy in childhood (less than 10 years of age).

METHODS MR studies were performed with a 1.5-T imager on 38 temporal lobe epilepsy patients receiving drug therapy at the psychiatric department. These patients were divided into two groups according to their age at onset (10 years or less, 11 years or more). The two groups were compared in terms of the MR findings and clinical features.

RESULTS The 11 younger-onset patients included 5 with a high-signal area attributed to mesial temporal sclerosis. Clinically, all of these 5 patients had a history of "complex" febrile convulsions, which sharply distinguished them from the older-onset group.

CONCLUSION The analysis suggests that complex febrile convulsions in infancy can be associated with high-signal areas on MR attributed to mesial temporal sclerosis.