LASSE: abstract

Topic: Bridging anatomy and neuropathology in focal epilepsies secondary to Malformations of Cortical Development (MCD)

Roberto Spreafico

 

Istituto Nazionale Neurologico “C. Besta” Milano – Italy

 

Malformations of Cortical Development (MCD) are increasingly recognized as the most frequent neuropathological substrate of focal epilepsies in patients candidates for epilepsy surgery. The available imaging techniques has facilitated the in vivo diagnosis of MCD and basic research provided further informations in the  understanding of different pathogenetic mechanisms. Despite these advances there is still a lack of uniform, classification for these disorders helpful in clinical practice. The lectures and practical discussions will be addressed at reviewing critically the available classifications on cortical malformations reported in the literature based either on high resolution imaging techniques or on neuropathological post-surgical specimens. Selected electroclinical, neuroradiological and neuropathological examples of patients operated on for intractable epilepsy secondary to MCD will be also presented.

 

Furthermore for those interested in neuropathology the course will provide technical aspects on the possibility and reliability to transfer basic neuroanatomical methods to human surgical specimens in order to achieve a more appropriated and refined neuropathological diagnosis of MCD. The hypothesized pathogenetic mechanisms of seizures generation underlying the different forms of MCD will be also discussed. At the end the students should be able to correlate electroclinical and  neuropathological data in order to identify the different subtypes of MCD in patients with intractable epilepsy. and to predict the possible outcome after epilepsy surgery in patients with cortical malformations.