Mediobasal and lateral temporal gliomas exhibit different growth patterns, surgical outcomes and prognoses.

Objective: This study was aimed at investigating the differences between mediobasal temporal gliomas and lateral temporal gliomas.

Methods: One hundred and forty-seven patients with temporal gliomas who were admitted in the Department of Supratentorial Neoplasms at Beijing Tiantan Hospital between 2008 and 2011 were included in this prospective study. Temporal gliomas involving the limbic and paralimbic systems were classified as mediobasal temporal gliomas (MTGs), while those without the involvement of the limbic and paralimbic systems were defined as lateral temporal gliomas (LTGs). The clinical, radiological, histopathological, and molecular features were compared between MTG and LTG patients.

Results: Compared to LTGs, MTGs were significantly larger in size (P = 0.013) and displayed a more aggressive invasion of surrounding tissues (P < 0.001). Marginally significant differences of the IDH1/2 mutation rate were observed between MTG and LTG patients (P = 0.058). The postoperative disability rate of MTGs was significantly higher than that of LTGs (P = 0.031). Resection degree according to tumor grade between LTG and MTG showed no statistical significance, while it mixed all grades showed marginally significant difference (P = 0.060). Regardless of tumor grade, the PFS and OS of MTG was shorter than that of LTG, except for OS in grade II (P = 0.189).

Conclusions: Temporal gliomas can be classified into two types, MTG and LTG which have different growth patterns, surgical outcomes and prognoses. Due to the significantly worse prognosis of patients with MTGs, this classification is useful for the clinical prognostic prediction of temporal gliomas.