Sulcus Temporalis Superior, Lateral View

Description

Shown from the left lateral aspect, the left cerebral hemisphere presents the temporal lobe inferior to the lateral (Sylvian) fissure, with the superior temporal sulcus (sulcus temporalis superior) coursing anteroposteriorly between the superior temporal gyrus superiorly and the middle temporal gyrus inferiorly. Anteriorly, the sulcus approaches the temporal pole; posteriorly, it trends toward the temporoparietal junction, where its termination and ascending rami vary and may approximate the supramarginal and angular gyri. Superior to the temporal lobe, portions of the frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes remain in view along the convexity, while the cerebellum and brainstem sit inferior and posterior, marking the infratentorial compartment. This sulcus is a practical surface landmark for mapping perisylvian language networks and auditory association cortex on the lateral temporal convexity. The superior temporal gyrus houses primary and secondary auditory regions, and the posterior superior temporal sulcus lies near the classic Wernicke territory on the dominant hemisphere, a relationship often invoked when correlating aphasia phenotypes with MCA inferior-division infarcts. Small differences in where the superior temporal sulcus meets the posterior Sylvian region also matter when you plan lateral temporal craniotomies or interpret gyral-based navigation on preoperative MRI. Use this plate in neuroanatomy and neuroscience teaching to anchor sulcal and gyral identification on the lateral brain surface, and in radiology or neurosurgery publications that need a clean reference for temporoparietal cortical topography. A good orientation image. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.