Surgical treatment of epilepsy secondary to a hypothalamic hamartoma: a case report

A hypothalamic hamartoma is a benign, congenital, heterotopic, neoplastic space-occupying mass located in the interpeduncular fossa, corresponding to a gangliocytoma according to the morphological classification. Patients with hypothalamic hamartoma often experience gelastic seizures and early puberty. Increasing evidence that hypothalamic hamartomas are the cause of gelastic seizures and secondary epileptogenesis has led to surgery being used more often as a permanent cure. Several minimally invasive procedures have been developed, including neuroendoscopic approaches and various stereotactic techniques in radiofrequency and laser ablation. Each method can lead to its own unique side effects. We conducted a review of the available Russian and international literature. This case report describes the surgical treatment of epilepsy secondary to a hypothalamic hamartoma.