Cavernomas de la región temporal mesial: Anatomía microquirúrgica y abordajes

OBJECTIVE: To describe the microsurgical anatomy and approaches to the mesial temporal region (MTR), in relation with cavernomas. METHODS: Five adult cadaveric heads, fixed in formol and injected with colored silicon were studied. Since January 2007 and June 2014, the author operated 7 patients with cavernomas located in the MTR. RESULTS: Anatomy: The MTR was divided in 3 portions: Anterior, middle and posterior. Patients: The author operated 7 patients with MTR cavernomas. Four cavernomas were located in the anterior portion, 2 were located in the middle portion, and 1 cavernoma was located in the posterior portion. The transsylvian-transinsular approach was used for the anterior portion of the MTR; the transtemporal approach (anterior temporal lobectomy) was used for the middle portion of the MTR; and the supracerebellar-transtentorial approach was used for the posterior portion of the MTR. CONCLUSION: The idea of divide the MTR in 3 portions help to select the correct approach.