Bilateral medial temporal lobe damage without amnesic syndrome: a case report

Abstract

After the case report H.M. [42], unilateral neurosurgical interventions in the mediotemporal area have no longer been performed, if damage to the contralateral mediotemporal region was present, because of running the risk of provoking a postoperative amnesic syndrome. We present a patient with bilateral mediotemporal cysts and medically refractory complex partial seizures originating in the left mediotemporal region. Although our patient had additional right mediotemporal damage and poor non-verbal learning and memory, the left amygdaloid body and the left hippocampal formation were resected because the patient passed a selective anterior temporal lobe Amobarbital test. Postoperatively, our patient's non-verbal memory recovered to normal, but his verbal memory declined. Nevertheless, he was non-amnesic and seizure-free.