The evolving utility of diffusion tensor tractography in the surgical management of temporal lobe epilepsy: a review.

BACKGROUND: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a relatively new imaging modality that has found many peri-operative applications in neurosurgery.

METHODS: A comprehensive survey of the applications of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in planning for temporal lobe epilepsy surgery was conducted. The presentation of this literature is supplemented by a case illustration.

RESULTS: The authors have found that DTI is well utilized in epilepsy surgery, primarily in the tractography of Meyer's loop. DTI has also been used to demonstrate extratemporal connections that may be responsible for surgical failure as well as perioperative planning. The tractographic anatomy of the temporal lobe is discussed and presented with original DTI pictures.

CONCLUSIONS: The uses of DTI in epilepsy surgery are varied and rapidly evolving. A discussion of the technology, its limitations, and its applications is well warranted and presented in this article.