Cerebral vasospasm following temporal lobe epilepsy surgery.

Objective: Selective amygdalohippocampectomy (AHE) has been associated with postoperative cerebral vasospasm (CVS) in patients with medically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy. The incidence in temporal lobe resection (TLR) is unknown. This retrospective cohort study evaluates the incidence of and risk factors for the development of CVS in patients with TLR and AHE.

Methods: A total of 119 patients were included between 1998 and 2009. All patients were evaluated by standardized preoperative and postoperative transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) evaluations and neurologic examinations. Postoperative CT scans were evaluated by an independent radiologist and the volume of bleeding within the resection cavity was quantified.

Results: Of 107 patients with longitudinal TCD data, 35 (32.7%) developed postoperative CVS. The incidence of CVS did not differ between patients with TLR and AHE. CVS was associated with female gender and a higher bleeding volume in the postoperative CT scan (p = 0.035 and 0.046). Patients with CVS showed a significantly higher incidence of postoperative neurologic signs and symptoms (48.6%) compared to patients without CVS (25%, p = 0.015). The mean length of stay was significantly prolonged in patients with diffuse CVS compared to patients with localized CVS or no CVS (28.8 ± 10.9, 24.2 ± 6.6, and 18.2 ± 6.1 days, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: CVS is a frequent complication of surgery for temporal lobe epilepsy irrespective of the resection method. Important risk factors for the development of postoperative CVS are female gender and a higher amount of bleeding in the postoperative CT. Patients with CVS more frequently have neurologic signs and symptoms resulting in prolonged hospital stay.