Gliomatosis cerebri and Rasmussen's encephalitis: Two different entities causing refractory epilepsy. Comparison through two clinical cases.
BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE
Rasmussen's Encephalitis (RE) is a chronic and progressive childhood disease caused by an inflammatory disorder that affects a cerebral hemisphere. On the other hand, Gliomatosis Cerebri (GC) is a rare primary neoplastic glial process with a diffuse and infiltrative growth.


CLINICAL PRESENTATION
We present two clinical cases with a history of continuous focal epilepsy refractory to antiepileptic drugs. They share similar clinical and radiologic features, but a different histopathological diagnosis. A brain biopsy was needed to distinguish GC from a RE.


CONCLUSION
The debut of a drug-resistant epilepsy with focal seizures and an ipsilateral progressive hemiparesis suggests the diagnosis of RE. However, there are other entities such as GC, which, despite its rarity, should be considered in the differential diagnosis. So, in some cases, histological diagnosis is needed.
['Andermatten|J A|JA|', 'Candela-Cantó|S|S|', 'Jou|C|C|', 'Aparicio|J|J|', 'Muchart|J|J|', 'Martinez|O C|OC|', 'Rumià|J|J|', 'Hinojosa|J|J|']
D001706:Biopsy D001921:Brain D002648:Child D003937:Diagnosis, Differential D000069279:Drug Resistant Epilepsy D004569:Electroencephalography D004660:Encephalitis D004828:Epilepsies, Partial D017809:Fatal Outcome D006801:Humans D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging D008297:Male D018302:Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures D010291:Paresis
Gliomatosis cerebri Rasmussen's encephalitis Brain hemiatrophy Continuous partial epilepsy Pediatric epilepsy surgery