EPIDERMOID TUMORS OF THE FRONTAL BONE, SINUS AND ORBIT

Abstract

SLOW-GROWING tumors involving the frontal bone, sinus and adjacent areas are not always easily differentiated. This treatise will discuss the rather rare epidermoid type of tumor, with report of a case, and will briefly differentiate other growths with which it may be confused. An epidermoid tumor, first described in the literature by Cruveilhier¹in 1829, was termed "pearly tumor" because of its highly refractive and nodular surface. Müller²introduced the name "cholesteatoma" in 1838 because of the cholesterol crystals in the mass. Remak³originated the hypothesis that such growths arose from embryonic epidermal rests. Heimendinger,⁴Cushing,⁵Skillern,⁶McFarland,⁷Ewing,⁸Coates,⁹Critchley and Ferguson,¹⁰Love and Kernohan,¹¹and Bailey¹²have concurred in the belief that primary cholesteatomas or epidermoids are congenital new growths coming from misplaced or aberrant epithelial tissue. Bucy¹³stated that such growths may arise beneath the scalp, within the diploe, between the bone and dura mater,