Shorter epilepsy duration is associated with better seizure outcome in temporal lobe epilepsy surgery.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the influence of patient's age and seizure onset on surgical outcome of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). METHOD A retrospective observational investigation performed from a cohort of patients from 2000 to 2012. RESULTS A total of 229 patients were included. One-hundred and eleven of 179 patients (62%) were classified as Engel I in the group with < 50 years old, whereas 33 of 50 (66%) in the group with ≥ 50 years old group (p = 0.82). From those Engel I, 88 (61%) reported epilepsy duration inferior to 10 years and 56 (39%) superior to 10 years (p < 0.01). From the total of patients not seizure free, 36 (42%) reported epilepsy duration inferior to 10 years and 49 (58%) superior to 10 years (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION Patients with shorter duration of epilepsy before surgery had better postoperative seizure control than patients with longer duration of seizures.