OBJECTIVETo investigate the difference in interictal perfusion patterns between refractory and non-refractory temporal lobe epilepsies evaluated with flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) magnetic resonance (MR) sequence.

METHODSNine patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy, 21 patients with non-refractory temporal lobe epilepsy, and 13 normal volunteers underwent FAIR MR scanning. The relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in bilateral hemispheres and mesial temporal lobes were measured. And we also calculated the asymmetry index (AI) values.

RESULTSThe AI values of bilateral hemispheres in refractory and non-refractory epilepsy patients were both significantly different from those of volunteers (P = 0.012 and 0.029, respectively). There was significant difference in AI values of bilateral mesial temporal lobes between non-refractory epilepsy patients and volunteers (P = 0.049), while no significant difference between refractory epilepsy patients and volunteers.

CONCLUSIONSThe hypoperfusion pattern of interictal refractory temporal lobe epilepsy patients is different from that of non-refractory patients. Although the hypoperfusion tends to extend out of temporal lobes in all patients, the refractory epilepsy patients have a preference of bilateral mesial temporal hypoperfusion, which may be valuable for evaluating prognosis.