From the Guidelines
Symptoms of a temporal lobe mass can include seizures, memory problems, language difficulties, and behavioral changes, as well as headaches, visual field defects, and speech and comprehension difficulties, depending on the location and size of the mass. According to the most recent guidelines on pediatric central nervous system cancers, version 2.2025, from the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 1, the clinical presentation of brain tumors, including those in the temporal lobe, depends largely on tumor location and patient age at the time of diagnosis.
Key Symptoms
- Seizures, particularly complex partial seizures
- Memory problems
- Language difficulties
- Behavioral changes, such as anxiety, fear, or personality changes
- Headaches, particularly in the morning or when lying down
- Visual field defects, specifically contralateral superior quadrantanopia
- Speech and comprehension difficulties
- Nausea, vomiting, and dizziness due to increased intracranial pressure As noted in the guidelines 1, other presenting symptoms can include hemiparesis, monoparesis, cranial nerve deficits, ataxia, hemisensory loss, dysphasia, aphasia, and memory impairment, highlighting the importance of considering the broad range of potential symptoms when evaluating a temporal lobe mass.
Importance of Early Diagnosis
Early diagnosis through neuroimaging, preferably MRI, is crucial for determining the exact nature of the temporal lobe mass and guiding appropriate treatment, as these masses can represent various pathologies including tumors, abscesses, vascular malformations, or other space-occupying lesions requiring different treatment approaches, as implied by the clinical presentation described in the guidelines 1.
From the Research
Temporal Lobe Mass Symptoms
- Temporal lobe encephaloceles can cause a range of symptoms, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, conductive hearing loss, meningitis, and seizures 2
- Seizures are a common symptom of temporal lobe masses, and can be difficult to control 3
- Temporal lobe epilepsy is considered to be the most frequent of all epileptic syndromes, and can be caused by a variety of factors, including limbic encephalitis (LE) 4
Treatment Options
- Surgical repair of temporal lobe encephaloceles can provide definitive treatment for seizures caused by these lesions 2
- Levetiracetam (LEV) has been shown to be effective in reducing seizure frequency in patients with brain tumors and seizures 3, 5
- LEV has also been shown to be effective in treating adult-onset temporal lobe epilepsy with positive voltage-gated potassium channel antibody 4
- LEV has been found to be safe and tolerable in patients with brain tumors and seizures, with minimal adverse effects and few drug interactions 5