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Long-Term Epilepsy Associated Tumors

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Clinical Neuroradiology

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Abstract

Long-term epilepsy-associated tumors (LEATs) are the second common cause of drug-resistant epilepsy mostly occurring in young adults. Histologically, glioneuronal and glial tumors are distinguished. Gangliogliomas and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNETs) account for the vast majority of glioneuronal tumors. They are located in the cortex or in the cortex and subcortical white matter; gangliogliomas most commonly in the mesial temporal lobe (“around the collateral sulcus”). MRI using contrast administration is the most important radiological technique. Both tumor types have typical imaging features in terms of location and imaging features, and clinical neuroradiology plays an important role in separating them from glial tumors. This separation is important since more than 70% of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy caused by gangliogliomas and DNETs will become seizure free following extended lesionectomy. Rarer glioneuronal tumors are angiocentric glioma (ANET) and papillary glioneuronal tumor (PGNT). Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA), isomorphic astrocytoma, and cortical ependymoma represent rarer epilepsy-associated glioma subtypes, while the association of glioneuronal tumors with neuropil islands and multinodular and vacuolating neuronal tumor (MVNT) of the cerebrum with epilepsy is less clear.

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Abbreviations

ANET:

Angiocentric neuroepithelial tumor = angiocentric glioma

DNET:

Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors

FCD:

Focal cortical dysplasia

LEAT:

Long-term epilepsy-associated tumor

MVNT:

Multinodular and vacuolating neuronal tumor

PGNT:

Papillary glioneuronal tumor

PXA:

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroradiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

    H. Urbach

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  1. H. Urbach
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Correspondence to H. Urbach .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Frederik Barkhof

  2. National Hosp.f Neurology & Neurosurgery, UCL National Hosp.f Neurology & Neurosurgery, London, UK

    Rolf Jager

  3. Division of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Vienna Division of Neuroradiology, Wien, Austria

    Majda Thurnher

  4. Department of Neuroradiology, Hospital Vall d’Hebrón Department of Neuroradiology, Barcelona, Spain

    Alex Rovira Cañellas

Section Editor information

  1. Magnetic Resonance Image Core Facility. Institut de Investigació Biomèdica August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Image Diagnosis Center (CDIC). Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    N. Bargalló

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Urbach, H. (2019). Long-Term Epilepsy Associated Tumors. In: Barkhof, F., Jager, R., Thurnher, M., Rovira Cañellas, A. (eds) Clinical Neuroradiology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61423-6_52-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61423-6_52-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-61423-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-61423-6

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