MR imaging characteristics of middle cranial fossa encephaloceles compared in patients with a history of temporal lobe epilepsy and those with no history of seizurea
| Variable | Total (n = 62) | History of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (n = 20) | No History of Seizure (n = 42) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encephalocele side | .86 | |||
| Left | 17 (27.4) | 5 (25) | 12 (28.6) | |
| Right | 30 (21.0) | 5 (25) | 8 (19.1) | |
| Bilateral | 32 (51.6) | 10 (50) | 22 (52.4) | |
| Side of largest encephalocele | .60 | |||
| Left | 34 (54.8) | 10 (50.0) | 24 (57.1) | |
| Right | 28 (45.2) | 10 (50.0) | 18 (42.9) | |
| Total No. of bilateral encephaloceles | .14 | |||
| 1 | 20 (32.3) | 9 (45.0) | 11 (26.2) | |
| >1 | 42 (67.7) | 11 (55.0) | 31 (73.8) | |
| Median No. of sextantsb containing encephaloceles | 3 (2) | 3 (2) | 3 (3) | .23 |
| Largest encephalocele | ||||
| Depth (mm) | 5 (3) | 4 (2.5) | 5.5 (3) | .43 |
| Areal extent (mm2) | 117 (142) | 149 (225.5) | 117 (154) | .92 |
| Volume (mm3) | 368 (538) | 423 (513) | 364 (632) | .74 |
| Morphologic distortion of adjacent brain parenchyma | .83c | |||
| Minimal | 9 (14.5) | 2 (10.0) | 7 (16.7) | |
| Mild | 17 (27.4) | 6 (30.0) | 11 (26.2) | |
| Moderate | 24 (38.7) | 9 (45.0) | 15 (35.7) | |
| Severe | 12 (19.4) | 3 (15.0) | 9 (21.4) | |
| Longest single dimension of distorted parenchyma adjacent to largest encephalocele (mm) | 13 (11) | 15.5 (15) | 13 (11) | .53 |
| Presence of adjacent encephalomalacia | 7 (11.3) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (16.7) | .09c |