Temporal lobe

Changed by Daniel Loh, 19 Sep 2015

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The temporal lobe is one of the four lobes of the brain (along with the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, and occipital lobe), and largely occupies the middle cranial fossa.

Gross anatomy

The lobe extends superiorly to the Sylvian fissure, and posteriorly to an imaginary line; the lateral parietotemporal line, which separates the temporal lobe from the inferior parietal lobule superiorly and the occipital lobe inferiorly. The middle cranial fossa forms its anterior and inferior boundaries.

The temporal lobe can be divided into two main sections:

neocortex (sometimes referred to simply as temporal lobe)
- lateral and inferolateral surfaces
- comprised of standard cerebral cortex
mesial temporal lobe (sometimes referred to as the limbic lobe)
- including the hippocampus, amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus (see: mesial temporal lobe)

Sulci and gyri

The temporal lobe is divided into six gyri by five sulci which are oriented largely parallel to the Sylvian fissure. Unfortunately not all gyri and sulci extend the full length of the lobe and as such not all are present at each angled coronal section. Furthermore nomenclature is variable.

The general order from superolateral to inferomedial is:

superior temporal gyrus
superior temporal sulcus
middle temporal gyrus
inferior temporal sulcus
inferior temporal gyrus
lateral occipitotemporal sulcus
lateral occipitotemporal gyrus
collateral sulcus
medial occipitotemporal gyrus (aka lingual gyrus)
anterior calcarine sulcus
parahippocampal gyrus

Blood supply & venous drainage

The temporal lobe receives blood from both the internal carotid artery and the vertebrobasilar artery ⁴.

ICA system
- anterior choroidal artery
  - supplies the anterior segment of parahippocampal gyrus, the uncus and the amygdala
- middle cerebral artery
  - supplies superior and inferior temporal gyri and temporal pole
  - several temporal branches arise from the MCA although there is considerable variation in anatomical arrangement ⁵
    - temporopolar artery
    - anterior temporal artery
    - middle temporal artery
    - posterior temporal artery
vertebrobasilar system
- supplies the inferior surface of the temporal lobe via the temper-occipital artery

Venous drainage occurs via 2 routes ⁴:

blood from the neocortex travels anteriorly to the superficial middle cerebral vein, then into the inferior anastomotic vein (vein of Labbe ́) which joins the transverse sinus
blood from the mesial temporal lobe goes to the posterior choroidal vein which goes on to form the internal cerebral vein, eventually becoming the great cerebral vein (vein of Galen), continuing into the straight sinus

Related pathology

+</ul><h4>Blood supply & venous drainage</h4>The temporal lobe receives blood from both the internal carotid artery and the vertebrobasilar artery 4.<ul>
+<li>ICA system<ul>
+<li>
+<a href="/articles/anterior-choroidal-artery">anterior choroidal artery</a><ul><li>supplies the anterior segment of parahippocampal gyrus, the uncus and the amygdala</li></ul>
+</li>
+<li>
+<a href="/articles/middle-cerebral-artery">middle cerebral artery</a><ul>
+<li>supplies superior and inferior temporal gyri and temporal pole</li>
+<li>several temporal branches arise from the MCA although there is considerable variation in anatomical arrangement 5<ul>
+<li>temporopolar artery</li>
+<li>anterior temporal artery</li>
+<li>middle temporal artery</li>
+<li>posterior temporal artery</li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+<li>
+<a href="/articles/basilar-artery">vertebrobasilar</a> system<ul><li>supplies the inferior surface of the temporal lobe via the temper-occipital artery</li></ul>
+</li>
+</ul>Venous drainage occurs via 2 routes 4:<ul>
+<li>blood from the neocortex travels anteriorly to the <a href="/articles/superficial-middle-cerebral-vein">superficial middle cerebral vein</a>, then into the <a href="/articles/inferior-anastomotic-vein">inferior anastomotic vein</a> (vein of Labbe ́) which joins the <a href="/articles/transverse-sinus">transverse sinus</a>
+</li>
+<li>blood from the mesial temporal lobe goes to the posterior choroidal vein which goes on to form the <a href="/articles/internal-cerebral-vein">internal cerebral vein</a>, eventually becoming the great cerebral vein (<a href="/articles/vein-of-galen">vein of Galen</a>), continuing into the <a href="/articles/straight-sinus">straight sinus</a>
+</li>

References changed:

4. Kiernan J. Anatomy of the Temporal Lobe. Epilepsy Res Treat. 2012;2012:176157. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/176157">doi:10.1155/2012/176157</a> - <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22934160">Pubmed</a>
5. De Long W. Anatomy of the Middle Cerebral Artery: The Temporal Branches. Stroke. 1973;4(3):412-8. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1161/01.str.4.3.412">doi:10.1161/01.str.4.3.412</a> - <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4713030">Pubmed</a>

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