Ultrasonographic features of focal cortical dysplasia and their relevance for epilepsy surgery

Impact of intraoperative MRI on pediatric epilepsy surgery for focal cortical dysplasia

BACKGROUND

Complete resection is essential for achieving seizure freedom in children with drug-resistant epilepsy due to focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). However, identifying altered structures intraoperatively can be challenging, potentially leading to reoperations. This study assessed the impact of intraoperative MRI (iMRI).

METHODS

We conducted a single-center retrospective study at Alder Children's Hospital from 2013 to 2022. The study included all children diagnosed with FCD, analyzing demographics, iMRI use, the rate of continued iMRI-guided surgery and reoperations, histology, and seizure outcomes at 1-year follow-up.

RESULTS

Thirty-two pediatric patients (median age: 10 years, 21 males and 11 females) underwent surgery for FCD. Of them 8 (25 %) had FCD Type I, 19 (59.4 %) had FCD Type II, and 1 patient (3.1 %) had FCD Type III. iMRI was used in 27 patients (84.4 %), and 17 (63 %) of these patients required further iMRI-guided surgery. Four patients underwent reoperation in a separate session. At 1-year follow-up, seizure outcomes in the iMRI group were Engel I in 15 patients (71.4 %), Engel II in 4 (19 %), and Engel III and IV in 1 patient (4.8 %) each. Five patients (15.6 %) had superficially localized lesions and underwent surgery without iMRI. None of them required reoperation, and four (80 %) were seizure-free at 1 year. Seven patients were lost to follow-up.

CONCLUSION

iMRI plays a significant role in identifying residual epileptogenic tissue in surgery for FCD, influencing surgical decisions and leading to additional iMRI-guided resections. Most patients with iMRI-guided surgery achieved favorable seizure outcomes (Engel I) at 1 year of follow-up. Long-term follow-up is needed to validate these findings and to confirm sustained seizure control.

Evaluating intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) in focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) resection surgery: A systematic review

Background

Surgery is the best approach to treating focal cortical dysplasia (FCD)-related epilepsy; yet, it has suboptimal outcomes because distinguishing the boundaries between the FCD region and normal brain tissue intraoperatively poses a challenge. The use of intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) helps demarcate FCD lesion borders leading to more accurate intraoperative resection. In this review, the use of IOUS for the resection of FCD was evaluated.

Methods

This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus Library, and Dynamed Library databases were searched, and two independent reviewers examined the articles. The search terms related to "drug-resistant epilepsy" and "intraoperative ultrasound." The results between January 2008 and April 2022 were abridged for FCD type, ultrasound resolution, extent of lesion resection, correction of brain shift, postoperative neurological deficits, and postoperative seizure freedom (Engel classification).

Results

Ten articles were included in the study. The parameters used to assess the efficacy of IOUS in FCD surgery were ultrasound resolution, demarcation of lesion boundaries, correction of brain shift, postoperative neurological deficits, and seizure freedom. Most studies have shown that IOUS produces high-resolution images. Surgery for Type 2 FCD patients had better outcomes than surgery for Type 1 FCD patients due to better visualization by IOUS. Patients were classified as Engel class 1 or class 2 postoperatively. Eight studies found that IOUS was superior to magnetic resonance imaging in brain shift correction.

Conclusion

The preliminary results look promising, especially for the international league against epilepsy class 2 FCD. However, there is a need for more high-quality research evaluating the use of IOUS in FCD and comparing it to other intraoperative imaging modalities.

Clinical and anatomical analysis of the epileptogenic spread patterns in focal cortical dysplasia patients

Background

Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is one of the main causes of intractable epilepsy, which is amendable by surgery. During the surgical management of FCD, the understanding of its epileptogenic foci, interconnections, and spreading pathways is crucial for attaining a good postoperative seizure free outcome.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated 54 FCD patients operated in Federal Center of Neurosurgery, Tyumen, Russia. The electroencephalogram findings were correlated to the involved brain anatomical areas. Subsequently, we analyzed the main white matter tracts implicated during the epileptogenic spreading in some representative cases. We prepared 10 human hemispheres using Klinger's method and dissected them through the fiber dissection technique.

Results

The clinical results were displayed and the main white matter tracts implicated in the seizure spread were described in 10 patients. Respective FCD foci, interconnections, and ectopic epileptogenic areas in each patient were discussed.

Conclusion

A strong understanding of the main implicated tracts in epileptogenic spread in FCD patient remains cardinal for neurosurgeons dealing with epilepsy. To achieve meaningful seizure freedom, despite the focal lesion resection, the interconnections and tracts should be understood and somehow disconnected to stop the spreading.

The anatomy of neuroepithelial tumours

Many neurological conditions conceal specific anatomical patterns. Their study contributes to the understanding of disease biology and to tailored diagnostics and therapy. Neuroepithelial tumours exhibit distinct anatomical phenotypes and spatiotemporal dynamics that differ from those of other brain tumours. Brain metastases display a preference for the cortico-subcortical boundaries of watershed areas and have a predominantly spherical growth. Primary CNS lymphomas localize to the white matter and generally invade along fibre tracts. In neuroepithelial tumours, topographic probability mapping and unsupervised topological clustering have identified an inherent radial anatomy and adherence to ventriculopial configurations of specific hierarchical orders. Spatiotemporal probability and multivariate survival analyses have identified a temporal and prognostic sequence underlying the anatomical phenotypes of neuroepithelial tumours. Gradual neuroepithelial de-differentiation and declining prognosis follow (i) an expansion into higher order radial units; (ii) a subventricular spread; and (iii) the presence of mesenchymal patterns (expansion along white matter tracts, leptomeningeal or perivascular invasion, CSF spread). While different pathophysiological hypotheses have been proposed, the cellular and molecular mechanisms dictating this anatomical behaviour remain largely unknown. Here we adopt an ontogenetic approach towards the understanding of neuroepithelial tumour anatomy. Contemporary perception of histo- and morphogenetic processes during neurodevelopment permit us to conceptualize the architecture of the brain into hierarchically organized radial units. The anatomical phenotypes in neuroepithelial tumours and their temporal and prognostic sequences share remarkable similarities with the ontogenetic organization of the brain and the anatomical specifications that occur during neurodevelopment. This macroscopic coherence is reinforced by cellular and molecular observations that the initiation of various neuroepithelial tumours, their intratumoural hierarchy and tumour progression are associated with the aberrant reactivation of surprisingly normal ontogenetic programs. Generalizable topological phenotypes could provide the basis for an anatomical refinement of the current classification of neuroepithelial tumours. In addition, we have proposed a staging system for adult-type diffuse gliomas that is based on the prognostically critical steps along the sequence of anatomical tumour progression. Considering the parallels in anatomical behaviour between different neuroepithelial tumours, analogous staging systems may be implemented for other neuroepithelial tumour types and subtypes. Both the anatomical stage of a neuroepithelial tumour and the spatial configuration of its hosting radial unit harbour the potential to stratify treatment decisions at diagnosis and during follow-up. More data on specific neuroepithelial tumour types and subtypes are needed to increase the anatomical granularity in their classification and to determine the clinical impact of stage-adapted and anatomically tailored therapy and surveillance.

Clinical utility of intraoperative electrocorticography for epilepsy surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Despite the widespread use of intraoperative electrocorticography (iECoG) during resective epilepsy surgery, there are conflicting data on its overall efficacy and inability to predict benefit per pathology. Given the heterogeneity of iECoG use in resective epilepsy surgery, it is important to assess the utility of interictal-based iECoG. This individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis seeks to identify the benefit of iECoG during resective epilepsy surgery in achieving seizure freedom for various pathologies. Embase, Scopus, and PubMed were searched from inception to January 31, 2021 using the following terms: "ecog", "electrocorticography", and "epilepsy". Articles were included if they reported seizure freedom at ≥12-month follow-up in cohorts with and without iECoG for epilepsy surgery. Non-English articles, noncomparative iECoG cohorts, and studies with <10% iECoG use were excluded. This meta-analysis followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The primary outcome was seizure freedom at last follow-up and time to seizure recurrence, if applicable. Forest plots with random effects modeling assessed the relationship between iECoG use and seizure freedom. Cox regression of IPD was performed to identify predictors of longer duration of seizure freedom. Kaplan-Meier curves with log-rank test were created to visualize differences in time to seizure recurrence. Of 7504 articles identified, 18 were included for study-level analysis. iECoG was not associated with higher seizure freedom at the study level (relative risk = 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.96-1.23, p = .19, I²  = 64%), but on IPD (n = 7 studies, 231 patients) iECoG use was independently associated with more favorable seizure outcomes (hazard ratio = 0.47, 95% CI = .23-.95, p = .037). In Kaplan-Meier analysis of specific pathologies, iECoG use was significantly associated with longer seizure freedom only for focal cortical dysplasia (FCD; p < .001) etiology. Number needed to treat for iECoG was 8.8, and for iECoG in FCD it was 4.7. We show iECoG seizure freedom is not achieved uniformly across centers. iECoG is particularly beneficial for FCD etiology in improving seizure freedom.

Optimization of intraoperative ultrasound navigation during focal cortical dysplasia surgery: a case report

Intraoperative ultrasound (IUS) is known to be an effective method for neuronavigation during surgical treatment of intractable seizures caused by focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). However, the 2-dimensional (2D) IUS has poor image quality and low spatial resolution. We describe via a case report how Ultrasound integrated Brainlab (BL) – Navigation software was used to optimize 2D IUS and thereby reduce these challenges.

Case report: We present a case report of a 22-year-old female patient with a long-standing history of seizures. The patient was treated with more than two anti-epileptic drugs without any clinical efficacy. In 2022 she was diagnosed with temporal lobe FCD. We performed a temporal lobe lesionectomy using optimized IUS BL-Navigation that provided enhanced 3-dimensional (3D) images.

Discussion: The extent of resection of the underlying FCD lesion is a key factor in determining whether a patient achieves meaningful seizure freedom after surgery. While the 2D IUS offers admirable characteristics that have been used as an aid during surgery, it is our view that IUS enhanced 3D BL-Navigation offers better appreciation of FCD lesions and therefore improves the extent of resection.

Application of Intraoperative Ultrasound Navigation in Neurosurgery

Effective intraoperative image navigation techniques are necessary in modern neurosurgery. In the last decade, intraoperative ultrasonography (iUS), a relatively inexpensive procedure, has gained widespread acceptance.

Intraoperative Ultrasound-Assisted Extent of Resection Assessment in Pediatric Neurosurgical Oncology

Central nervous system tumors represent the most frequent solid malignancy in the pediatric population. Maximal safe surgical resection is a mainstay of treatment, with significant prognostic impact for the majority of histotypes. Intraoperative ultrasound (ioUS) is a widely available tool in neurosurgery to assist in intracerebral disease resection. Despite technical caveats, preliminary experiences suggest a satisfactory predictive ability, when compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies. Most of the available evidence on ioUS applications in brain tumors derive from adult series, a scenario that might not be representative of the pediatric population. We present our preliminary experience comparing ioUS-assisted resection assessment to early post-operative MRI findings in 154 consecutive brain tumor resections at our pediatric neurosurgical unit. A high concordance was observed between ioUS and post-operative MRI. Overall ioUS demonstrated a positive predictive value of 98%, a negative predictive value of 92% in assessing the presence of tumor residue compared to postoperative MRI. Overall, sensibility and specificity were 86% and 99%, respectively. On a multivariate analysis, the only variable significantly associated to unexpected tumor residue on postoperative MRI was histology. Tumor location, patient positioning during surgery, age and initial tumor volume were not significantly associated with ioUS predictive ability. Our data suggest a very good predictive value of ioUS in brain tumor resective procedures in children. Low-grade glioma, high-grade glioma and craniopharyngioma might represent a setting deserving specific endeavours in order to improve intraoperative extent of resection assessment ability.

Advanced intraoperative ultrasound (ioUS) techniques in focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) surgery: A preliminary experience on a case series

INTRODUCTION

Focal Cortical Dysplasia (FCD) represents a broad spectrum of histopathological entities that cause drug-resistant epilepsy. Surgery has been shown to be the treatment of choice, but incomplete resection represents the leading cause of seizure persistence. Preliminary experiences with intraoperative ultrasound (ioUS) have proven its potential in defining and characterizing the lesion. In this study we analyzed the feasibility of advanced ultrasound techniques such as sono-elastography (SE) and contrast enhancement ultrasound (CEUS) in a small cohort of patients with FCD.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed all clinical records and images of patients with drug resistant epilepsy who underwent at least one advanced sonographic technique (SE and/or CEUS) during ioUS guided surgery between November 2014 and October 2017. We excluded from our analysis all patients with lesions other than FCD or those who had FCD associated with other pathological entities.

RESULTS

Four patients with type IIb FCD in the right frontal lobe were evaluated. All of them underwent SE, which highlighted heterogeneous stiffness in the dysplastic foci, also multiple areas of higher consistency were detected in all patients. Three patients evaluated with CEUS had visible enhancement in the FCD. Neither SE nor CEUS were better than ioUS in the identification of lesion boundaries. In the three patients who underwent both SE and CEUS we found no correspondence between stiffer areas and enhancement in the dysplastic areas.

CONCLUSION

Ourpreliminary report confirms the feasibility of SE and CEUS in FCD surgery and describes the imaging findings in this category of patients. Studies on larger cohorts of patients are warranted to better clarify the role of these advanced intraoperative ultrasound techniques in patients with FCD.