Invasive growth along white matter (WM) tracts is one of the most prominent clinicopathological features of glioma and is also an important reason for surgical treatment failure in glioma patients. A full understanding of relevant clinical features and mechanisms is of great significance for finding new therapeutic targets and developing new treatment regimens and strategies. Herein, we review the imaging and histological characteristics of glioma patients with WM tracts invasion and summarize the possible molecular mechanism. On this basis, we further discuss the correlation between glioma molecular typing, radiotherapy and tumor treating fields (TTFields) and the invasion of glioma along WM tracts. •Early invasion along the white matter tracts of malignant glioma is an important consideration for neurosurgeons.•The neuro-glioma network may play an active role in the process of glioma invasion along the white matter tracts.•There is still lack an ideal in vitro model for glioma invasion along the white matter tracts.