Desmoplastic fibroma of the temporal bone

Abstract

Background: Desmoplastic fibroma is a benign osseous neoplasm most often affecting the facial skeleton when presenting in the head and neck region. Involvement of the temporal bone is rare. Objective: To describe a case of desmoplastic fibroma of the temporal bone, review the literature, and discuss its varying management. Results: An elderly female presented with hearing loss and otalgia and was found to have a destructive temporal bone lesion on computed tomography. She underwent a complete mastoidectomy with biopsy; final pathology revealed desmoplastic fibroma. This is the first reported case managed by close observation due to extensive skull base involvement and its benign, slow-growing nature. Six previous cases of temporal bone desmoplastic fibroma have been reported in the literature. Conclusions: Desmoplastic fibroma is a benign but infiltrative tumor for which biopsy is recommended to rule out malignancy and obtain a definitive diagnosis. Treatment is guided by extent of disease, presence of symptoms, and feasibility of surgical resection.

Keywords

• Desmoplastic fibroma
• Temporal bone lesion
• Skull base neoplasms
• Temporal bone pathology
• Otopathology