Abstract
Surgical treatment of epilepsy is a hope for a significant group of pharmacoresistant epileptics. In pediatric age, patients with temporal epilepsy, cortical development disorders and catastrophic epilepsy of early age are indicated for epilepsy surgery.
Pre-operative examination is a demanding process where it is necessary to decide whether a patient is a suitable candidate, to choose the surgical procedure and to estimate the possible profit and risk of surgery. We currently have a number of diagnostic techniques available, but none of them still reliably defines an epileptogenic zone, a tissue whose removal will guarantee surgical success.
In recent years, progress has been made in particular in non-invasive diagnostics. In this article we focus on modern techniques of MR spectroscopy, ictal SPECT examination and possibilities of neuropathological analysis of resected brain tissue.
These methods are commonly available in our workplaces and their use in many patients has significantly helped to refine the diagnosis and / or determine the correct therapeutic procedure.