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The temporal lobe is a roughly cylindrical or perhaps conical portion of the cerebral hemisphere occupying no more than about a fifth of its volume. When seen from the lateral aspect of the brain, it suggests a tonguelike projection. Its rounded tip is called the temporal pole; it points forward and terminates under the frontal lobe at a point halfway between the anterior tip of the frontal lobe, which is the anterior tip of the hemisphere, and the posterior border of the frontal lobe, which is the Rolandic sulcus. Inferiorly, the temporal lobe forms the lower border of the hemisphere. Superiorly, it is separated from the frontal lobe, further back from the parietal lobe, by the Sylvian sulcus. When the two lips of the Sylvian sulcus or Sylvian fissure, the lower of which is formed by the superior border of the temporal lobe, are separated a small buried area of cortical tissue is revealed, the insula or island of Reil. Posteriorly, the temporal lobe is continuous with the occipital lobe since there is no natural landmark to separate them. When the base of the brain is viewed the major portion of it is seen to be occupied by the common inferior and medial surface of the temporal lobe which stretches from the temporal pole anteriorly to the occipital lobe posteriorly. The temporal pole is clearly visible against the inferior surface of the frontal lobe,