Epilepsia tumoral

Abstract

Tumoral epilepsy is a neurodegenerative disorder that represents 6% of all currently diagnosed epilepsies. This disorder is frequently described in a supratentorial location in the supragranular layer of the peritumoral neocortex. The proepileptogenic molecules involved in the pathophysiology are glutamate, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), potassium, fibrinogen and albumin, whose alterations in the central nervous system (CNS) are explained by two theories: epileptocentric and the tumorocentric theory. The importance of tumoral epilepsy relies in being considered a sign of presentation of specific tumoral lines (ganglioglioma, oligodendroglioma) and acting as an objective marker of tumoral progression. The electroencephalogram and the nuclear magnetic resonance are the two essential diagnostic tools. The management of tumoral epilepsy is based on pharmacological and surgical treatment, taking into consideration the tumor excision, the timing of the seizures, response to treatment, the patient's prognosis, directly impacting on the morbidity and mortality of patients with CNS tumors.