Primary Sarcomas of the Temporal Bone

Abstract

Primary sarcomas of the temporal bone are rare. Symptoms include otorrhea, bleeding, hearing loss, and frequently facial paralysis. The undifferentiated type and the rhabdomyosarcomas are the most common. The neoplasms are highly malignant with rapid local invasion destroying the petrous apex, mastoid, middle ear, and often eroding into the bony and membranous labyrinth. Extension may occur to the middle and posterior cranial fossae. Metastasis is early, usually to the lungs and bones. Combined surgery, irradiation, and chemotherapy have produced the best results in treatment; however, the prognosis is usually poor.