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Frequency of seizures in patients with metastatic brain tumors

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Abstract

Introduction

We sought to determine the influence of primary tumor histology and metastatic tumor location on the frequency of seizures among patients with brain metastases. A secondary aim was to determine if surgery reduced the occurrence and frequency of seizures.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed patients with cerebral metastasis at a single institution from 2006 to 2016.

Results

Among 1949 patients identified as having had cerebral metastasis, 168 (8.6%) had documentation of one or more seizures. The incidence of seizures was highest among patients with metastases from melanoma (19.8%), followed by those with colon cancer (9.7%), renal cell carcinoma (RCC; 8.3%), and lung cancer (7.0%). Among 1581 patients with melanoma, colon cancer, RCC, non-small cell lung cancer, or breast cancer, having metastases in the frontal lobe seemed to confer the greatest risk of seizures (n = 100), followed by foci in the temporal lobe (n = 20) and elsewhere (n = 16).

Conclusion

Patients with cerebral metastasis are at increased risk for seizures. Seizure rates seem to be higher for certain primary tumors, such as melanoma, colon cancer, and RCC, and for lesions located in the frontal lobe.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Christine F. Wogan, MS, ELS, of the Division of Radiation Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, for editorial assistance.

Funding

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Kristin Huntoon

  2. Division of Neurological Surgery, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, 63103, USA

    Nicholas Musgrave

  3. Department of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Ammar Shaikhouni & James Elder

Authors
  1. Kristin Huntoon
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  2. Nicholas Musgrave
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  3. Ammar Shaikhouni
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Correspondence to Kristin Huntoon.

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Huntoon, K., Musgrave, N., Shaikhouni, A. et al. Frequency of seizures in patients with metastatic brain tumors. Neurol Sci 44, 2501–2507 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-023-06695-y

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