Chapter 15 : Diseases of the temporal bone

Several diseases have been excluded from this chapter, or considered only briefly, as they are covered more appropriately in other sections. Thus, the many causes of severe childhood deadness, in particular teratogenic, hereditary and metabolic, are largely excluded. Secondary involvement of the temporal bone by neoplasms, reticuloses, or by the leukaemias are also described elsewhere, together with the diseases of the cardiovascular, haemopoietic, respiratory and renal systems (Chapter 17). This chapter concentrates upon disorders of bone which may involve the petrous temporal structures and those caused by infective, granulomatous, metabolic and dietary-induced diseases. The developing contemporary field of autoimmune inner ear disease is also considered.