Objective: We aimed to analyze the efficiency of corpus callosotomy (CC) and subsequent disconnection surgeries in patients with late-onset epileptic spasms (LOES) by comparing post-encephalitis/encephalopathy (PE) and nonencephalitis/encephalopathy (NE). We hypothesized these surgeries can control potential focal onset epileptic spasms (ES) in the NE group but not in the PE group.
Methods:We retrospectively included 23 patients (12 with PE and 11 with NE) who initially underwent CC and subsequent disconnection surgeries (five NE).We compared the clinical courses, seizure types, MRI, video-EEG, epilepsy surgery, and seizure outcomes between the two groups.
Results:The median age of LOES onset in the PE group was 2.8 (range 1.0-10.1 years) and 2.9 years (range 1.1-12.6) in the NE group. Bilateral MRI abnormalities were observed in both groups (PE, n = 12; NE, n = 3; P < 0.05). The PE group presented ES alone (n = 2), ES + focal seizures (FS) (n = 3), ES + generalized seizures (GS) (n = 3), and ES + FS + GS (n = 4) in addition to stimulusinduced startle seizures (SS) (n = 8) (mean 3.1 seizure types/patient). The NE group presented ES alone (n = 1), ES + FS (n = 2), and ES + FS + GS (n = 8) (mean 2.7 seizure types/patient). In the PE group, CC stopped ES (n = 1) and SS (n = 1) and achieved <50% SS (n = 3). In the NE group, CC achieved immediate ES-free status (n = 2) and < 50% ES (n = 1), and additional disconnection surgeries subsided all seizure types (n = 3) based on lateralized interictal/ictal EEG findings. LOES was significantly remitted by surgery in the NE group (6/11[55%]) compared with the PE group (1/12 [8%]) (P < 0.05).Significance: LOES is a drug-resistant, focal/generalized/unknown onset ES.