MRI findings in patients with symptomatic localization-related epilepsies beginning in infancy and early childhood.

We studied MRI findings in patients with symptomatic localization-related epilepsy (S-LRE) beginning in infancy and early childhood and their relation to some clinical features. MRI findings were investigated in 183 patients with S-LRE beginning before 6 years of age. S-LRE was defined as an epileptic syndrome manifesting with only partial seizures at least for a certain period during the clinical course, having specific neuroimaging abnormalities considered to be related to epileptic seizures, moderate or severe mental retardation, or cerebral palsy. The timing of injury was divided into the following four groups; prenatal, perinatal, postnatal and unknown. It was presumed prenatal in 56 patients (31%), perinatal in 25 (14%), postnatal in 32 (18%) and unknown in 70 (38%). The median age at the onset of partial seizures was 24 months in the congenital (prenatal and unknown) group, 39 months in the perinatal group and 25 months in the postnatal group. The onset of partial seizures was later in the perinatal group than in the congenital group. There were no significant differences in the other clinical characteristics among groups except for more frequent association of cerebral palsy in the perinatal group than in the congenital group. Our study suggests that congenital (prenatal and unknown group) disorders may be most common in patients with S-LRE beginning in infancy and early childhood. The onset of partial seizures occurred later in the perinatal group.