Callosotomía: técnicas, resultados y complicaciones. Revisión de la literatura

Abstract

Background: Patients with intractable seizures who are not candidates for focal resective surgery are indicated for a palliative surgical procedure, the callosotomy. This procedure is based on the hypothesis that the corpus callosum is an important pathway for   interhemispheric spread of epileptic activity and, for drug resistant epilepsy. It presents relatively low permanent morbidity and an efficacy in the control of seizures. Based on literature, the corpus callosotomy improves the quality of life of patients that has the indication to perform this procedure because it allows reducing the frequency of seizures, whether tonic or atonic, tonic-clonic, absence or frontal lobe complex partial seizures. Aim: The aim of this literature review is discuss the technical details, modalities, risks, complications, results as well de prognosis of callosotomy based on critical literaturereview and the authors experience. Casuistry and Methods: It was performed bibliographical consultation, using the databases MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, utilizing language as selection criteria, choosing preferably recent articles in Portuguese, Spanish or English, with publication year higher than 2000. Conclusion: According to author’s experience and references, callosotomy is a safe procedure when indicated to selected cases and the success rate is proportional to the extent of callosal resection. A greater resection can reduce the seizure frequency, however the morbidity may also be larger. There is no important study comparing VNS versus Callosotomy versus VNS plus callososotomy, what would be for future necessary for an important source of data about this topic.