Parieto-Occipital Disconnection for Drug-Resistant Parieto-Occipital Lobe Epilepsy: A Case Report and Surgical Technique

We report a case of drug-resistant parieto-occipital lobe epilepsy successfully treated with parieto-occipital disconnection (POD). An 18-year-old left-handed female, who had undergone surgery for an acute subdural hematoma at 10 months of age, developed drug-resistant epilepsy at age 15. Despite antiepileptic drug treatment, her seizures remained uncontrolled, and at age 18 she was referred to our hospital for evaluation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed atrophy in the left occipital and parietal lobes. Ictal electroencephalography (EEG) confirmed occipital onset of seizures without temporal lobe involvement. She had pre-existing homonymous hemianopsia. POD surgery was performed, carefully preserving the temporal lobe structures. Postoperatively, she experienced transient right-sided paresis, which fully resolved, and achieved complete seizure control at 3 years without memory loss. This case demonstrates that POD, a rare surgical approach, is a viable option for parieto-occipital lobe epilepsy, effectively controlling seizures while minimizing functional impairment in the absence of temporal lobe involvement.