• Sandeep Mittal, Monika Mittal, José Luis Montes, Jean-Pierre Farmer, and Frederick Andermann.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Wayne State University, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. smittal@med.wayne.edu
• Neurosurg Focus. 2013 Jun 1;34(6):E6.

AbstractHypothalamic hamartomas are uncommon but well-recognized developmental malformations that are classically associated with gelastic seizures and other refractory seizure types. The clinical course is often progressive and, in addition to the catastrophic epileptic syndrome, patients commonly exhibit debilitating cognitive, behavioral, and psychiatric disturbances. Over the past decade, investigators have gained considerable knowledge into the pathobiological and neurophysiological properties of these rare lesions. In this review, the authors examine the causes and molecular biology of hypothalamic hamartomas as well as the principal clinical features, neuroimaging findings, and electrophysiological characteristics. The diverse surgical modalities and strategies used to manage these difficult lesions are outlined in the second article of this 2-part review.

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