Abstracts

Rationale: Seizures are presenting sign in 25-50 % of gliomas. Tumor Associated Epilepsy "TAE" has significant morbidity and loss of quality of life (QOL). Improving control of TAE may improve QOL and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS). Impact of "tumor associated epilepsy" (TAE) on morbidity of gliomas is significant.. In TAE seizure outcome using Engel's Classification and KPS scores may be related to multiple variables, e.g age, gender, location, WHO classification of glioma, radiation treatment, extent of resection by MRI, anti-epileptic drugs (AED), EEG findings and others. Methods: 145 patients with gliomas and TAE seen between 2006-2012 at the University of Minnesota Neurosurgery/Neurology Departments were reviewed. We investigated the association of seizure outcome at last visit using Engel's classification I-IV and KPS scores with multiple clinical variables described above.. Chi square analysis was done. Results: On the 145 subjects, age was 43 % at 40-59 years, males 62%, 41 % had WHO grade 2, and 27 % Grade 4. 52 % had frontal location and 53 % presented with seizures. 20 % had oligodendroglioma with 1p10q deletions, 3% had positive family history of glioma. 52% responded to one anti convulsant, namely Levetiracetam. KPS scores of 80-100 was seen at last visit in 48 % and Engel's seizure outcome was I -II for 118 of the subjects. All these variables were correlated with KPS score and older age >60 yrs (P =.07), higher malignancy grades 3 and 4 (p=.09) and abnormal EEG (P=,03) had lower KPS scores at <80., Seizure control (Engel's) was better in males (p=,01) only and no other variables significanlty correlated. Conclusions: Some clinical variables traditionally used to predict outcome, i.e KPS score and seizure control, in gliomas in this serie of 145 patients had marginal, not statistically siginficant association. Further studies are needed looking at other clinical parameters, perhaps molecular genotypes, that may better correlate with outcome in so far as seizure control and functionability of glioma patients.