Sphenotemporal aneurysmal bone cyst. A case report and review of the literature

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are benign armors of the bones, formed by multi ple cysts filled with blood and eroding the bone. They are rarely located a t the skull. We report a case of a right temporal ABC in a 5-year-old girl. On admission, the physical examination showed a tough and fixed tumor, wit h no inflammatory signs nor vascular characteristics. The neurological exam ination was normal. Imaging studies showed an heterogeneous extracerebral m ass, eroding the temporal bone and the greater wing of the sphenoid bone. The treatment consisted in an extensive tumor resection, associated with re constructive surgery. The outcome was uneventful (follow-up 27 months). We underline the pathogenetic diagnostic and therapeutic features of this c ondition.