[Transient mutism after resection of left frontal lobe astrocytoma in adult: case report].

We reported a case of a 32-year-old female who had a transient mutism after resection of a malignant astrocytoma in the left frontal lobe. Preoperatively magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed a cystic tumor in the left frontal lobe. The patient underwent surgery. She was alert but did not speak immediately after surgery. She could follow verbal commands, comprehend written language, and write letters. She had no cranial nerve or extremity paresis. Seven days postoperatively, she began to say simple words, and one month postoperatively she could talk normally. Postoperative MR imaging revealed a hypointensity area on T1 weighted image in the frontal lobe including a part of the anterior cingulate cortex and the anterior part of the corpus callosum. It appears that a dominant hemisphere lesion of both the anterior cingulate cortex and the corpus callosum may be responsible for the development of postoperative mutism.