Manifestation of magnetic source imaging in patients with refractory epilepsy and encephalomalacia

Objective To evaluate the epileptic focus localization value of MSI in patients with refractory epilepsy and encephalomalacia. Method MSI examination was proceeded in 11 patients with refractory epilepsy and encephalomalacia. Five of them were treated with gamma-knife; the others were treated with surgery. Results In the five patients treated with gamma-knife, the result was satisfied in 3 patients, one patient improved significantly, the other one useless. The distance between the encephalomalacia and the epileptic focus was 4cm in one patient; one patient′s encephalomalacia was located in right frontal-parietal lobe but the epileptic focus mainly located in right temporal lobe, only a little located around the encephalomalacia. Overall agreement among VEEG,ECoG and MEG (presence of concordant spikes with the same localization shown by three techniques) was obtained in three patients, the areas localized by ECoG were larger than VEEG and MSI in two patients. The localization was different in VEEG, MSI and ECoG in one patient, then he was given a resection of bilateral occipital epileptic focus. The results of patients treated with surgery were satisfied. Conclusion The MSI localization of epileptic focus in patients with refractory epilepsy and encephalomalacia is precise, and it can direct the advanced clinical treatment.