Benign osteoblastoma of the temporal bone

Abstract

Abstract We have described a benign osteoblastic lesion in the middle ear in a 13‐year‐old boy who presented with a gradual hearing loss in the right ear. The patient also described a beating or pulsating sensation in the right ear without other symptoms. The examination of the right ear revealed a mass lesion which occupied the medial portion of the canal and seemed to be arising from and in continuity with the posterior inferior wall of the external canal. The benign osteoblastoma rarely has malignant characteristics. Based on the experience of others, partial removal of the lesion was carried out by curettage preserving the integrity of the middle ear space and facial nerve. This is probably the first case report of such a lesion involving the temporal bone in the middle ear and we found it to be a most interesting and thought provoking lesion both by virtue of its presentation and management.