Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39730953›Full record

ReviewNeurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology2025

MRgFUS disconnection surgery for hypothalamic hamartoma-related epilepsy: case report and literature review.

Giuseppe K Ricciardi, Fabio Paio, Cecilia Zivelonghi, Michele Longhi, Giorgia Bulgarelli, Micaela Tagliamonte, Paolo M Polloniato, Elisa Mantovani, Monica Ferlisi, Antonio Nicolato and 6 more

Abstract readCase ReportsReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Giuseppe K RicciardiNeuroradiology Unit, Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
Fabio PaioNeurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy. fabio.paio@univr.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6534-9911
Cecilia ZivelonghiNeurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
Michele LonghiStereotactic Neurosurgery and Radiosurgery Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
Giorgia BulgarelliStereotactic Neurosurgery and Radiosurgery Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
Micaela TagliamonteNeuroradiology Unit, Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
Paolo M PolloniatoMedical Physics Unit, Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
Elisa MantovaniNeurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
Monica FerlisiNeurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
Antonio NicolatoStereotactic Neurosurgery and Radiosurgery Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
Stefania MontemezziRadiology Unit, Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
Michele TinazziNeurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
Bruno BonettiNeurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
Francesco SalaNeurosurgery Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
Tiziano ZanoniNeurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
Stefano TamburinNeurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDrug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) secondary to hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) often requires surgical resection or stereotactic radiosurgery, which frequently fail to provide satisfactory outcomes and are associated with severe side effects. Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) may represent a minimally invasive surgical approach to HH by offering precise thermal ablation of sub-millimetric brain targets while sparing surrounding structures.

methodsWe present the case of a 19-year-old man with HH-associated DRE, who was successfully treated with MRgFUS. The procedure resulted in effective ablation of the hypothalamic interface of the HH, disconnecting the epileptogenic lesion from the surrounding brain tissue. We also reviewed the literature on MRgFUS for DRE.

resultsThe patient experienced a complete resolution of seizures and significant improvements in social and occupational functioning over an 18-month follow-up period. No neurological, cognitive, or endocrinological adverse effects were observed.

conclusionOur case report and literature review suggest that MRgFUS may achieve adequate seizure control in DRE associated with HH without adverse effects. While MRgFUS shows promise for other forms of DRE, data remain preliminary, and some safety concerns persist. Further studies with long-term follow-up are warranted to better support the use of MRgFUS in DRE.

Indexed as

Drug Resistant EpilepsyHamartomaHypothalamic DiseasesHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleYoung AdultDrug-resistant epilepsyFocused ultrasoundHIFUHypothalamic hamartomaMRgFUS

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.