Correlation of lesions in the hippocampal region noted on MR images with clinical features.

The purpose of our work was to compare the MR imaging findings of obvious hippocampal and/or juxtahippocampal lesions with corresponding clinical features. Magnetic resonance images of 63 patients with obvious lesions in the hippocampal and/or juxtahippocampal regions were reviewed and their findings were correlated with patients' clinical characteristics. Based on the MR and clinical findings, the patients were divided into four groups: (a) 26 patients with space occupying lesions or suspected vascular malformation frequently causing symptomatic temporal epilepsy; (b) 14 with hippocampal infarcts, which when left-sided or bilateral caused amnesia; (c) 11 with encephalitis and 5 with old temporal contusion usually accompanied by both amnesia and epilepsy; and (d) 7 with temporal atrophy and progressive dementia of subacute onset. Magnetic resonance imaging allows precise localization and evaluation of the clinical correlates of hippocampal and juxtahippocampal lesions, which frequently caused symptomatic temporal epilepsy and/or amnesic syndrome.