Definitive treatment of seizures due to hemimegalencephaly in neonates and young infants by transarterial embolization: technical considerations for 'endovascular embolic hemispherectomy'

Authors

Monica S. Pearl, Radiology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, USA mspearl@childrensnational.org.
Tammy N. Tsuchida, Neurology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Chima Oluigbo, Neurology and Pediatrics, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Panagiotis Kratimenos, Neonatology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Tayyba Anwar, Neurology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Youssef Kousa, Neurology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
William D. Gaillard, Neurology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Taeun Chang, Neurology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

10-27-2022

Journal

Journal of neurointerventional surgery

DOI

10.1136/jnis-2022-019049

Keywords

Embolic; Intervention; Pediatrics; Stroke; Technique

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This case series describes the technical considerations and effectiveness of 'endovascular embolic hemispherectomy' for the treatment of medically intractable seizures in neonates and young infants with hemimegalencephaly (HME) and in whom surgical hemispherectomy is not a viable option. METHODS: This is a descriptive review of the endovascular technique used to treat consecutive pediatric patients with serial transarterial embolization for intractable seizures due to HME between 2018 and 2022. Clinical presentation, endovascular procedural details and complications, and efficacy were examined. RESULTS: Three infants (13-day-old, 13-week-old and 15-day-old) with HME and intractable seizures underwent a total of 10 transarterial embolizations. Anticipated intraprocedural events included vasospasm and focal subarachnoid hemorrhage in all three infants, effectively controlled endovascularly, and non-target embolization in one infant. No infants had symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage or femoral artery occlusion. EEG background quiescence and seizure cessation was achieved after the final stage of embolization in all patients. All infants were discharged home from the neonatal ICU (median length of stay 36 days, range 27-74 days) and remain seizure-free to date (4 years, 9 months, and 8 months). None have developed hydrocephalus, required surgical hemispherectomy or other neurosurgical interventions. CONCLUSION: Endovascular hemispherectomy can be safely used to provide definitive treatment of HME-related epilepsy in neonates and young infants when intraprocedural events are managed effectively. This less invasive novel approach should be considered a feasible early alternative to surgical hemispherectomy. Further studies are needed to enhance the safety profile and to assess long-term neurodevelopmental outcome and durability of freedom from seizures.

APA Citation

Pearl, Monica S.; Tsuchida, Tammy N.; Oluigbo, Chima; Kratimenos, Panagiotis; Anwar, Tayyba; Kousa, Youssef; Gaillard, William D.; and Chang, Taeun, "Definitive treatment of seizures due to hemimegalencephaly in neonates and young infants by transarterial embolization: technical considerations for 'endovascular embolic hemispherectomy'" (2022). GW Authored Works. Paper 1727.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/1727

Department

Pediatrics