Extended, one-stage callosal section for treatment of refractory secondarily generalized epilepsy in patients with Lennox-Gastaut and Lennox-like syndromes.

PURPOSE: We report on the efficacy and safety of extended one-stage callosal section performed in a large and homogeneous series of patients.

METHODS: Seventy-six patients with Lennox-Gastaut (n = 28) and Lennox-like (n = 48) syndrome were studied (42 male patients; mean age, 11.2 years). All patients had multiple seizure types per day, including atonic, tonic-clonic, atypical absence, myoclonic, and tonic seizures. All of them were developmentally impaired. The EEG showed intense secondary bilateral synchrony in all of them. All patients were submitted to an extended, one-stage, callosal section, leaving only the splenium intact. Mean follow-up time was 4.7 years.

RESULTS: Worthwhile improvement (>50%) was noted in 69 of 76 patients; 52 patients had a > or =90% reduction in seizure frequency. Seven patients were seizure free after surgery. The seizure patterns most responsive to surgery were atonic (92%), atypical absence (82%), and tonic-clonic (57%) seizures. All patients had some degree of a transient acute postoperative disconnection syndrome. A consistent increase in attention level was observed postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS: We report one of the larger homogeneous series of patients submitted to callosotomy and are the first to report on the effectiveness and safety of performing extended callosal section in a single stage in this patient group. Extended callosal section should be considered a good palliative surgical option for suitable candidates. The increase in attention level was as useful as seizure control in improving quality of life of these patients.