Objective: Disconnection of the cerebral hemispheres by corpus callosotomy (CC) is an established means to palliate refractory generalized epilepsy. Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is gaining acceptance as a minimally invasive approach to treating epilepsy, but this method has not been evaluated in clinical series using established methodologies to assess connectivity. The goal in this study was to demonstrate the safety and feasibility of MRI-guided LITT for CC and to assess disconnection by using electrophysiology- and imaging-based methods.

Methods: Retrospective chart and imaging review was performed in 5 patients undergoing LITT callosotomy at a single center. Diffusion tensor imaging and resting functional MRI were performed in all patients to assess anatomical and functional connectivity. In 3 patients undergoing simultaneous intracranial electroencephalography monitoring, corticocortical evoked potentials and resting electrocorticography were used to assess electrophysiological correlates.

Results: All patients had generalized or multifocal seizure onsets. Three patients with preoperative evidence for possible lateralization underwent stereoelectroencephalography depth electrode implantation during the perioperative period. LITT ablation of the anterior corpus callosum was completed in a single procedure in 4 patients. One complication involving misplaced devices required a second procedure. Adequacy of the anterior callosotomy was confirmed using contrast-enhanced MRI and diffusion tensor imaging. Resting functional MRI, corticocortical evoked potentials, and resting electrocorticography demonstrated functional disconnection of the hemispheres. Postcallosotomy monitoring revealed lateralization of the seizures in all 3 patients with preoperatively suspected occult lateralization. Four of 5 patients experienced > 80% reduction in generalized seizure frequency. Two patients undergoing subsequent focal resection are free of clinical seizures at 2 years. One patient developed a 9-mm intraparenchymal hematoma at the site of entry and continued to have seizures after the procedure.

Conclusions: MRI-guided LITT provides an effective minimally invasive alternative method for CC in the treatment of seizures associated with drop attacks, bilaterally synchronous onset, and rapid secondary generalization. The disconnection is confirmed using anatomical and functional neuroimaging and electrophysiological measures.