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

Epilepsy Res. 1996 Jul;24(3):147-61. doi: 10.1016/0920-1211(96)00004-6.

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.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age of Onset
  • Amnesia
  • Amygdala / pathology
  • Brain Diseases / surgery*
  • Cysts / surgery*
  • Epilepsy, Complex Partial / pathology
  • Epilepsy, Complex Partial / physiopathology
  • Epilepsy, Complex Partial / surgery*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Functional Laterality
  • Hippocampus / pathology
  • Humans
  • Learning
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Memory*
  • Middle Aged
  • Speech
  • Syndrome
  • Temporal Lobe / pathology*