Isolated translocation of Wernicke's area to the right hemisphere in a 62-year-man with a temporo-parietal glioma.
Overview
abstract
We describe a case of translocation of temporo-parietal language function (Wernicke's area) to the contralateral hemisphere in a right-handed patient with a left temporo-parietal glioma. This translocation was identified by functional MR imaging (fMRI) and validated by direct cortical stimulation during gross-total resection. The current case exemplifies how preoperative fMRI can identify unexpected language organization as a result of tumor growth, affording surgery to patients who may otherwise be deemed inoperable.
