Frequently the etiology rather than the localization of an epilepsy syndrome determines the approach to the presurgical diagnosis as well as the postoperative outcome. This is reflected in the recent proposal of the ILAE Commission on Classification and Terminology that states that “less emphasis should be given to the localization and more to the underlying structural or metabolic cause”.
The 4th International Epilepsy Colloquium (IEC) will focus on epilepsy surgery for remote symptomatic epilepsies, including post traumatic brain injury, remote vascular lesions, brain tumors, inflammatory lesions and vascular malformations such as cavernomas.
Cavernomas can serve as a model for the surgical management of lesional epilepsies. Cavernomas consist of a very well defined, relatively small lesion (the cavernoma itself) surrounded by a hemosiderin rim. However, only about 70% of patients with a focal epilepsy caused by a cavernoma are rendered seizure free postoperatively depending on the duration of the epilepsy and on the resection strategy (lesionectomy vs. topectomy).
This Colloquium will facilitate an intensive discussion of the pathophysiology and current management approaches to remote symptomatic epilepsies. At the same time, discussion of epilepsies caused by clearly defined structural lesions will allow us to critically question and define better the concept of “epileptic networks”.
We cordially invite you to Marburg from June 27th to 29th 2011 to meet and discuss with you these issues and entities
| Felix Rosenow, MD | Hajo M. Hamer, MD | Susanne Knake, MD |