Abstract
Purpose A prospective study of patients with glioma was carried out. Special attention was paid to the first seizure, to the histology, and to the efficacy and prophylactic role of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Prognostic factors were analyzed. Methods Between February 1st 2004 and April 1st 2006 patients who underwent surgical treatment at the Neurosurgery Department of Bolzano for primary or recurrent glioma were prospectively followed until April 1st 2007. Seizures at onset occurring in the absence of interictal epileptiform abnormalities were regarded as remote symptomatic seizures and not treated. Results Sixty-four individuals were registered in the study; epilepsy diagnosis was made in 27 cases and in 24 of these seizures were the onset symptom. The correlation with histological grading showed that seizures were more frequent in low-grade glioma and in secondary glioblastoma. Although epilepsy was less frequent in high-grade glioma, in these patients seizures were more difficult to control. Poor seizure control was associated with motor and sensitive focal seizures and presence of neurological deficit. Patients without epilepsy and not taking AEDs never developed seizures during the follow-up. Discussion Our study clearly shows that epilepsy is more frequent in low-grade gliomas but seizures are more difficult to control in high-grade gliomas. In both cases seizures are a quite exclusive symptom at the onset that never appears during the stable course of the disease. Amongst glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), epilepsy is more frequent in GBM developing through progression from low-grade astrocitoma. Moreover, our study strongly indicates that the prophylactic use of AEDs in glioma is not justified.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fisher RS, Van Boas Emde, Blume W, Elger C, Genton P, Lee P, Engel J (2005) Epileptic seizures and epilepsy: definitions proposed by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE). Epilepsia 46:470–472. doi:10.1111/j.0013-9580.2005.66104.x
Siomin V, Angelov L, Li L, Vogelbaum MA (2005) Results of a survey of neurosurgical practice patterns regarding the prophylactic use of anti-epilepsy drugs in patients with brain tumors. J Neurooncol 74(2):211–215. doi:10.1007/s11060-004-6912-4
Glantz MJ, Cole BF, Friedberg MH, Lathi E, Choy H, Furie K, Akerley W, Wahlberg L, Lekos A, Louis S (1996) A randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial of divalproex sodium prophylaxis in adults with newly diagnosed brain tumours. Neurology 46:985–991
Glantz MJ, Cole BF, Forsyth PA, Recht LD, Wen PY, Chamberlain MC, Grossman SA, Cairncross JG (2000) Practice parameter: anticonvulsant prophylaxis in patients with newly diagnosed brain tumours. Reported of the Quality Standard Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology 54:1886–1893
Sirven JI, Wingerchuk DM, Drazkowski JF, Lyons MK, Zimmerman RS (2004) Seizure prophylaxis in patients with brain tumors: a metanalysis. Mayo Clin Proc 79:1489–1494
Vecht CJ, Wagner GL, Wilms EB (2003) Interactions between antiepileptic and chemotherapeutic drugs. Lancet Neurol 2:404–409. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(03)00435-6
Wrensch M, Minn Y, Chew T, Bondy M, Berger MS (2002) Epidemiology of primary brain tumors: current concepts and review of the literature. Neuro-oncology 4:278–299. doi:10.1215/15228517-4-4-278
Beaumont A, Whittle IR (2000) The pathogenesis of tumour associated epilepsy. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 142(1):1–15. doi:10.1007/s007010050001
Wagner GL, Wilms EB, Van Donselaar CA, Vecht C (2003) Levetiracetam: preliminary experience in patients with primary brain tumours. Seizure 12:585–586. doi:10.1016/S1059-1311(03)00096-7
Wick W, Menn O, Meisner C, Steinbach J, Hermisson M, Tatagiba M, Weller M (2005) Pharmacotherapy of epileptic seizures in glioma patients: who, when, why and how long? Onkologie 28:391–396. doi:10.1159/000086375
Newton HB, Goldlust SA, Pearl D (2006) Retrospective analysis of the efficacy and tolerability of levetiracetam in brain tumor patients. J Neurooncol 78:99–102. doi:10.1007/s11060-005-9070-4
Engel J Jr (2001) A proposed diagnostic scheme for people with epileptic seizures and with epilepsy: report of the ILAE Task Force on Classification and Terminology. Epilepsia 42:796–803. doi:10.1046/j.1528-1157.2001.10401.x
Engel J Jr (2006) Report of the ILAE Classification Core Group. Epilepsia 47(9):1558–1568. doi:10.1111/j.1528-1167.2006.00215.x
Kleihues P, Cavenee WK (2000) In: World Health Organization classification of tumours: pathology and genetics of tumours of the nervous system. IARC, Lyon, pp 9–54
Kleihues P, Burger PC, Aldape KD, Brat DJ, Biernat W, Bigner DD, Nakazato Y, Plate KH, Giangaspero F, von Deimling A, Ohgaki H, Cavenee WK (2007) In: World Health Organization classification of tumours of central nervous system. IARC, Lyon, pp 33–49
Pope WB, Sayre J, Perlina A, Villablanca JP, Mischel PS, Cloughesy TF (2005) MR imaging correlates of survival in patients with high-grade gliomas. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 26(10):2466–2474
Rasmussen TB (1975) Surgery of epilepsy associated with brain tumors. Adv Neurol 8:227–239
Hauser WA, Annegers JF, Kurland LT (1993) Incidence of epilepsy and unprovoked seizures in Rochester, Minnesota: 1935–1984. Epilepsia 34:453–468. doi:10.1111/j.1528-1157.1993.tb02586.x
Ruegg S (2002) Dexamethasone/phenytoin interactions: neurooncological concerns. Swiss Med Wkly 132:425–426
Lund M (1952) Epilepsy in association with intracranial tumours. Acta Psychiatr Neurol Scand Suppl 81:1–149
Miller JW, Gotman J (2008) The meaning of interictal spikes in temporal lobe epilepsy: should we count them? Neurology 71(6):392–393. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000324256.00488.69
Awad IA, Rosenfeld J, Ahl J, Hahn JF, Lüders H (1991) Intractable epilepsy and structural lesions of the brain: mapping, resection strategies, and seizure outcome. Epilepsia 32(2):179–186. doi:10.1111/j.1528-1157.1991.tb05242.x
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
All authors confirm that they have read the Journal’s position on issues involved in ethical publication and affirm that the work is consistent with those guidelines.
All authors disclose non conflict of interest.
All authors have been substantively involved in the study and/or the preparation of the manuscript.
All authors have seen and approved the submitted version of the paper and accept responsibility for its content.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rosati, A., Tomassini, A., Pollo, B. et al. Epilepsy in cerebral glioma: timing of appearance and histological correlations. J Neurooncol 93, 395–400 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-009-9796-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-009-9796-5