Letter from the Guest Editors

Article Outline

• Copyright

These issues of the journal Seminars in Ultrasound, CT, and MRI aim to provide a general anatomical, radiological, and clinical vision of temporal lobe epilepsy, which may be of interest to those professionals who deal with this condition. Its clinical symptoms, typical radiological aspects, and specific treatment mean that this type of epilepsy requires special handling as well as advanced anatomical knowledge of the zone. Our intention in these two Journal issues is to take the reader from the “beginning,” that is, by looking at macro- and microscopic anatomy, to the “end,” by examining the surgical aspects of temporal lobe epilepsy.

The first issue (Imaging of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Part I) deals with the basic aspects such as anatomy and clinical symptoms. We believe that a deep knowledge of the anatomy of the temporal lobe is essential for interpreting magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Therefore, in the first article we depict the macroanatomy and the microanatomy of the temporal lobe—the first to situate our minds in the “zone” and the latter for knowing it intrinsically. On the basis of the following principle: “The most you know, the most you diagnose,” we have reviewed the clinical appearance of temporal epilepsy. We believe that patient symptoms may help us in the diagnosis and may drive and orient our MRI exploration.

The second part of the issue deals with MRI technique, which is the essential tool in the diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The article that focuses on structural MRI gives us precise information on how to perform our study, giving examples of the different diseases that may affect the temporal region. Because of the increasing use of functional MRI and the development of new sequences and techniques, it is necessary to dedicate an article to the review of the main concepts of this kind of study as applied to TLE. Since most TLEs originate from an alteration of anatomical substrate, 3-T MRI is especially useful to depict them. The last article highlights the advantages and disadvantages of high-field MRI and brings the future to our present.

We feel honored by the confidence placed in us by Seminars in Ultrasound, CT, and MRI to supervise this undertaking, and we trust that the results of our endeavors may be of use to those who have an interest in this field. We would particularly like to express our appreciation to all the authors who collaborated by giving us the benefit of their specialized knowledge of the various topics.