Surgical Treatment and Long-Term Outcome of Cerebral Cavernous Malformations-Related Epilepsy in Pediatric Patients

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CMs) are vascular malformations affecting any part of the central nervous system. Clinical data and surgical outcomes for 27 pediatric patients with CM-related epilepsy were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age of onset was 12.71 +/- 4.09 years, and the mean duration of epilepsy was 2.34 +/- 1.95 years. All 27 patients were treated with microsurgery for resection of the CMs, and the hemosiderin rim, and the secondary epileptogenic zone if necessary. The mean follow-up period was 6.34 = 3.35 years, and the overall postoperative outcomes were positive. Note that 77.8% of patients were seizure-free postoperatively. The other patients with residual epilepsy received incomplete resection of the hemosiderin rim or the secondary epileptogenic zone due to retention of vital neurological functions. Surgical treatment for pediatric patients with symptomatic supratentorial CMs is safe and effective. Early intervention is recommended to resect CMs, the hemosiderin rim, and the epileptogenic cortex, even in cases of multiple CMs.