To evaluate the causes of the epileptic seizure and the usefulness of the MR imagings for detection, localization, and differentiation of structural epileptogenic abnormalities. We retrospectively reviewed 101 patients who had seizure episodes and had undergone brain MRI for recent 1 years. The causes of the seizure were classified into brain atrophy, traumatic or post-operative lesions, congenital or developmental anomaly, tumor, vascular malformation, white matter disease, infectious disease and others. The location of the lesions were classified onto diffuse, frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital and others.
Fourty-two of the 101 patients had brain atrophy, 23 patients had lesions secondary to trauma or surgery, 12 had congenital or developmental anomaly, seven had tumor, six had vascular malfomation, four had white matter disease, two had infectious disease, and five others had two arachnoid cysts, one hydrocephalus, one eclampsia, and one tuberous sclerosis. The lesions were located at the parietal lobe in 17 patients, frontal lobe in 15, temporal lobe in 21, and occipital lobe in four. MR imaging is the technique of choice when examining a patient who is having seizures. Detection, localization, and differentiation of structural epileptogenic abnormalities are much better with MR imaging than other diagnostic method.
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