Macroanatomy and Microanatomy of the Temporal Lobe

Because of its different functions and organization, the temporal lobe may be divided into lateral and medial parts. This separation may be useful for teaching purposes, since the medial temporal lobe needs a separated and a more precise study because of its complex structure and because it is the substrate where some specific types of epilepsy originate. The use of certain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences and protocols has improved the diagnosis of some particular epilepsies, but this technical benefit must be accompanied by the accurate knowledge of the anatomy of the temporal lobe. With this purpose we have prepared this article, which highlights the ultastructural and macroanatomy of the temporal lobe seen on MRI.