Marta Szmuda 1, Maria Mazurkiewicz-Bełdzińska 1, Marta Zawadzka 1, Małgorzata Pawłowicz 1, Tomasz Szmuda 2, Agnieszka Sabisz 3, Mirosława Dubaniewicz-Wybieralska 3
1 Klinika Neurologii Rozwojowej GUMed, Gdańsk
2 Klinika Neurochirurgii GUMed, Gdańsk
3 Zakład Radiologii GUMed, Gdańsk
Magnetic Resonance Tractography is a novel and unique noninvasive technique destinated for imaging pathways of white matter that forms brain. Epilepsy is one of the most frequent neurological finding in a pediatric population. The significance of imaging the tractography in this group of children is connected not only with the monitoring of actual or further structural abnormalities and correlating functional consequences, but it allows also to consider the optimal method of therapy, depending on the indications and potentially modify the course of the disease.
The aim of our study was to analyze the trajectory of the axonal pathways, correlate this data with clinical characteristics and course of epilepsy in children, as well as undertake the attempt to select a group of patients who would benefit from the epilepsy surgery.
Among 500 children with epilepsy, who had tractography performed, we selected 51 patients with evident epilepsy and decided to perform a pilot report. The material was collected between 2014-2018 in Department of Developmental Neurology, in the cooperation with Radiology Department in the Medical University of Gdansk. Patients included in the study were between 7 and 18 years old.
The results revealed some specific structural morphology of white matter pathways in particular group of children. There are some patients who would benefit from widening MR diagnostics and also who would take the advantage from alternative method of epilepsy therapy.
To conclude, Magnetic Resonance Tractography is a valuable diagnostic tool in patients suffering from epilepsy.The above report presents the initial results.