Abstract
Objectives To describe the work-up and surgical management of an osteoblastoma involving the
lateral skull base. Typically occurring in the spine or long bones, osteoblastomas
of the craniofacial skeleton are exceedingly rare and infrequently reported. A review
of the current literature regarding temporal bone osteoblastoma, diagnosis, and treatment
is described.
Methods This case report describes the clinical presentation, radiographic studies, surgical
management, histology, and postoperative follow-up of a young man presenting to a
tertiary care neurotology practice with osteoblastoma involving the lateral skull
base. A review of the current literature regarding osteoblastoma of the skull base,
work-up, and treatment is described.
Results A 15-year-old adolescent boy with a greater than 1-year history of right-sided retroauricular
pain, a palpable postauricular mass, and chronic headaches presented for evaluation/management.
Microscope examination of the ears, hearing, and cranial nerve function were normal.
High-resolution temporal bone computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans
were obtained, which revealed an expansile mass involving the junction of the temporal
and occipital bones. The patient underwent a combined retrosigmoid/retrolabyrinthine
resection of this extradural tumor. Histology revealed a benign bone neoplasm consistent
with osteoblastoma. Complete surgical resection was achieved, and the patient's symptoms
fully resolved. Follow-up imaging studies found no evidence of recurrence. The scientific
literature relevant to work-up and management of osteoblastoma is reviewed.
Discussion Osteoblastomas of the lateral skull base are rare, histologically benign tumors that
can present with radiographic features suggestive of malignancy. An en bloc resection
is important for both diagnosis and definitive treatment of these neoplasms. The differential
diagnosis on imaging and histology is discussed.
Keywords
osteoblastoma - temporal bone - lateral skull base - retrosigmoid - retrolabyrinthine
