Congenital Cholesteatoma of Temporal Bone and Sphenoid Sinus: Report of a Case

Abstract

PRIMARY cholesteatomas have been discussed recently in several papers,^1-5with the authors of one stating that they are probably not as rare as is generally assumed.²The case presented here is of interest because it produced so few clinical signs even though it involved large areas of the sphenoid, temporal, and occipital bones, and because it was successfully marsupialized via a transsphenoidal approach. It is thought to have arisen in the petrous apex. <h3>Report of a Case</h3> This 18-year-old man was in good health until four months prior to his admission to the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco on June 8, 1965. In February 1965, he had developed diplopia, headaches, and numbness about the left side of his mouth. He was seen initially by his family physician who referred him to a neurosurgeon. Neurological examination at that time revealed a partial left sixth nerve palsy,