Hemispherectomy for Sturge-Weber syndrome

Abstract

Patients with Sturge-Weber disease who have the onset of seizures in infancy invariably face a progressively downhill course which leaves them severely hemiplegic, demented and usually institutionalized because of uncontrolled seizures. During the past 12 years, we have carried out 6 hemispherectomies in infants under 1 year of age who presented with seizures and Sturge-Weber disease. The results have been gratifying. Seizures have stopped, hemipareses have been minimal and intellectual development has been good.