Objectives To analyse on the long-term outcomes in patients undergoing maximum safe resection (MSR) for large intrinsic temporal tumours.

Design Case series

Subjects All patients undergoing MSR of large medial temporal intrinsic tumours between May 2006 and February 2012 at a tertiary neurosurgical centre with a minimum follow up of 6 years.

Methods Retrospective review of hospital records.

Results Fifty-one patients underwent MSR (28 male, 23 female); age range 20–80 years (mean age 55.3). There was no difference in laterality, although dysphasia was a feature in 32% of left-sided lesions. Presenting features in general included seizures (46%), headaches (27%), hemiparesis (12%) and visual field defects (6%). Surgery was generally well tolerated (median post-operative Karnofsky score 92.5). No patients developed new dysphasia or weakness, but there was transient worsening of existing hemiparesis (n=4) and dysphasia (n=2). Other complications included CSF leak/pseudomeningocoele (n=2), oculomotor palsy (n=1) and wound infection (n=1). Histopathological casemix was GBM (50%), WHO 3 gliomas (14%), WHO 2 gliomas (10%) and metastases (4%). In total, 57% of patients received radiotherapy and 35% received chemotherapy. Survival correlated with pathology; in glioblastoma patients it ranged from 2–19 months (mean 10.4 months). Survival in grade 3 tumours ranged from 10–38 months (mean 24.4 months). 60% of patients with Grade 2 tumours are surviving symptom free with no histological upscale at 8–10 years follow-up. No patient required a second debulking procedure.

Conclusions MSR did not result in survival benefit in glioblastoma. MSR is justified in lesions with pre-operative radiological features of Grade 2 glioma.