How is hemimegalencephaly treated?
Hemimegalencephaly is a rare genetic condition that causes part of the brain to be abnormally larger than the rest. It is associated with seizures and sometimes developmental delay. These seizures usually do not respond well to medications. A surgery called a hemispherectomy is often required to control the seizures.
Can you live a normal life with epilepsy?
Most people with epilepsy live a full life. However, the risk of early death is higher for some. We know that the best possible seizure control and living safely can reduce the risk of epilepsy-related death.
What surgery is available for epilepsy?
Resective surgery, the most common epilepsy surgery, is the removal of a small portion of the brain. The surgeon cuts out brain tissues in the area of the brain where seizures occur, usually the site of a tumor, brain injury or malformation.
Is Hemimegalencephaly hereditary?
Hemimegalencephaly is caused by a spontaneous mutation which occurs on the mTOR pathway at approximately the third week of gestation. It is genetic but is not hereditary.
How many cases of Hemimegalencephaly are there?
Hemimegalencephaly (HME) is a rare congenital malformation of the brain characterized by overgrowth of one hemisphere. [1] Its prevalence ranges from 1 to 3 cases/1000 epileptic children and 1–14% among those with cortical developmental abnormalities.
Can we marry a epilepsy person?
A: From a medical point of view, persons with epilepsy can marry. However, in some countries there have been laws and in others even now there are laws that prevent persons with epilepsy to marry. It is important that the would be spouse of a person with epilepsy should be aware of the situation.
What is the success rate of epilepsy surgery?
In general, research studies done to examine the benefits have shown that: Approximately 70% of people who undergo a temporal lobe resection have a positive result. A positive result includes being free from seizures or having only rare disabling seizures.
What is the survival rate of epilepsy surgery?
Using a multiinstitutional surgical registry, 30-day outcome data after temporal lobectomy for medically intractable epilepsy demonstrates a mortality rate of 1.4%, a major complication rate of 6.5%, and a readmission rate of 11%.
What are symptoms of Hemimegalencephaly?
Children with this disorder may have a large, asymmetrical head accompanied by seizures, partial paralysis, and impaired cognitive development. The cause of Hemimegalencephaly is not fully understood, but involves a disturbance of cells early in development and likely involves genes involved in patterning and symmetry.
How common is Hemimegalencephaly?
Hemimegalencephaly is an extremely rare condition where one half of the brain’s cerebral cortex is larger than the other. The neurons in the enlarged half are typically malformed. Cytoarchitecture (how the neurons are stacked) is one type of deformity.
Can epilepsy patients donate blood?
Throughout the world people who have epilepsy and seizures are prohibited from donating blood. These restrictions are based on the assumption that they are prone to adverse donor reactions, specifically, syncope and convulsions.
Is epilepsy surgery risky?
Possible risks of this type of surgery include problems with memory, a partial loss of sight, depression or other mood problems. These risks will vary from person to person, and may be only temporary in some cases. For some people, their memory and mood could improve after epilepsy surgery.
Can epilepsy come back after surgery?
Most seizure recurrences are within the first six months after surgery, but sometimes, for reasons that are not completely understood, the seizures come back after many months or even years.
What are the causes of Hemimegalencephaly?
Hemimegalencephaly may also occur in association with Sotos syndrome and Alexander disease. These syndromes arise as a result of complex genetic activities such as single or multiple gene mutations. The mutations causing these disorders can be inherited or occur randomly during fetal development.
How is Hemimegalencephaly diagnosed?
In general, the presence of HME is definitively diagnosed by brain MRI. With the evolution of more widespread fetal imaging including ultrasound and MRI, a number of HME cases are detected prenatally.
Can I donate blood with epilepsy?
Throughout the world people who have epilepsy and seizures are prohibited from donating blood. These restrictions are based on the assumption that they are prone to adverse donor reactions, specifically, syncope and convulsions. We describe a study evaluating whether that concern is warranted.