Introduction

Epilepsy was first recognised by Hughlings Jackson in the 19th century. In 1873, he proposed that seizures were the result of sudden brief electro-chemical discharges in the brain. He established that the character of the seizures depended on the location and function of the site of the discharges.

The imaging of epilepsy has vastly changed since the end of the 20th century. Prior imaging with computed tomography (CT) scanning infrequently revealed the pathologic substrate for epilepsy⁽¹⁾. MR imaging has revolutionized the evaluation of epilepsy. It is superior to CT for detection of structural abnormalities. Early low-field strength MRI increased the diagnostic yield but it could identify only neoplasms, encephalomalacia and vascular malformation⁽²⁾.

The ILAE has suggested that seizures should be classified etiologically⁽³⁾. MRI has emerged as a powerful tool towards directing treatment, both medically and surgically when a lesion is precisely identified. High-resolution MRI has significantly increased the diagnostic accuracy.

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5. Yao Y. Guojun, Yuping W, Lixin C, Weid Yongije L. Beojong Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Bejing China.

Dr Sahil Mehan

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