Evaluation of amygdala pathology using (11)C-methionine positron emission tomography/computed tomography in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and amygdala enlargement

Epilepsy Res. 2015 May:112:114-21. doi: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2015.02.018. Epub 2015 Mar 10.

Abstract

Objective: The association between amygdala enlargement (AE) and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) has increasingly been reported. However, the pathology of AE remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to explore AE pathology using (11)C-methionine (Met) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in patients who have TLE with AE.

Materials and methods: Twenty-six TLE patients with AE and 18 TLE patients without AE underwent (11)C-Met PET/CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). (11)C-Met uptake in amygdala was evaluated by both visual inspection and semi-quantitative measurement. MRI was assessed visually and semi-quantitatively for AE. Laterality index (LI) was obtained by comparing the amygdala volumes of ipsilateral and contralateral sides. The clinical course and histopathological findings of all patients were also analyzed.

Results: On (11)C-Met PET/CT images, visual examination detected increased uptake in the enlarged amygdala in 7 of 26 (27%) TLE patients with AE, and the results were confirmed by semi-quantitative analysis. Among six TLE patients with AE who underwent surgery, histopathology revealed neoplasms (low grade astrocytoma and gangliocytoma) in two patients and focal cortical dysplasia in one patient with increased (11)C-Met uptake, but non-neoplastic lesions (focal cortical dysplasia, vacuolar degeneration, and hamartoma) in all three patients with no increased (11)C-Met uptake. On MRI, volume of the affected amygdala was significantly larger compared to the contralateral amygdala. LI was significantly higher in the group with AE than in the group without AE.

Conclusions: This study revealed that some TLE patients with AE showed increased (11)C-Met uptake in the enlarged amygdala. (11)C-Met PET/CT is potentially useful for the evaluation of AE pathology, and may provide beneficial information for appropriate decision-making.

Keywords: (11)C-methionine; Amygdala enlargement; Brain neoplasms; PET; PET/CT; Temporal lobe epilepsy.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Amygdala / diagnostic imaging*
  • Amygdala / pathology*
  • Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use
  • Carbon Isotopes / pharmacokinetics*
  • Electroencephalography
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / diagnostic imaging*
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / drug therapy
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / pathology*
  • Female
  • Functional Laterality
  • Humans
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Methionine / pharmacokinetics*
  • Middle Aged
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Anticonvulsants
  • Carbon Isotopes
  • Methionine