Walsh & Hoyt: Tumors Involving the Temporal Lobe

The temporal lobe is separated from the frontal lobe and the anterior portion of the parietal lobe by the sylvian fissure. The lateral surface of the temporal lobe contains the superior, middle, and inferior temporal gyri, and the superomesial surface of the temporal lobe contains the transverse gyri of Heschl. From below, the fusiform and hippocampal gyri can be identified. The hippocampal gyrus, an integral part of the limbic system (which also includes the uncus, the cingulate gyrus, and the isthmus), is thought not to be a true part of the temporal lobe, although it has association pathways within it, and in terms of clinical syndromes, it seems inseparable from the temporal lobe.