Chondroblastoma of the temporal bone: Consistent middle fossa involvement

The objective of this study is to describe the presentation and clinical co urse of two patients with temporal bone chondroblastoma, and to review the literature on temporal bone chondroblastoma to identify characteristic clin ical and radiological presentations, and optimal treatment regimens. MEDLIN E literature searches covering the period from 1966 to January 1998, in all languages, were performed as well as a review of the bibliographies of the identified studies. Strict inclusion criteria were upheld. In total 18, st udies had patients whose data could be analyzed, From the 18 studies, 34 pa tients were identified, but only 21 cases met the inclusion criteria. Demog raphic, clinical presentation, radiological, operative and treatment parame ters were analyzed in this cohort of patients. Ninety-five percent of patie nts were found to have invasion of the middle cranial fossa and 76% were fo und to have erasion into the superior aspect of the external auditory canal by temper bone chondroblastoma. The characteristic growth pattern of tempo ral bone chondroblastoma result from embryonal or cartilagenous rests entra pped in the tympanosquamous suture line in the middle fossa floor. Temporal bone chondroblastoma represents a pathology does not arise from, or have a growth pattern resembling other pathologies in the temporal bone.