BACKGROUND Giant cell tumor is a benign but locally aggressive bone neoplasm which uncommonly involves the skull. The petrous portion of the temporal bone forms a rare location for this tumor. CASE PRESENTATION The authors report a case of a large giant cell tumor involving the petrous and squamous portions of the temporal bone in a 26 year old male patient. He presented with right side sever...

OBJECTIVE To study the clinical features, tumor characteristics and outcomes of giant cell tumors (GCTs) in the skull base based on long-term follow-up. We also report the largest series of GCTs in the temporal bone and the lateral skull base. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective study was conducted of all GCTs managed at the Gruppo Otologico, a quaternary referral skull base institute, in I...

OBJECTIVE To explore the diagnostic accuracy of three-dimensional CT reconstruction and cephalometry in lateral skull base tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty-eight patients with lateral skull base tumors were randomly divided into control group (n = 29, examined with conventional diagnostic technique) or study group (n = 29, examined with three-dimensional CT reconstruction and cephalometry)....

Objective Due to its location, total resection of a skull base solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) can lead to morbidity with injury to lower cranial nerves, and a decision must be made between subtotal resection with possible stereotactic radiotherapy or total resection with cranial nerve morbidity. We report the long-term outcomes and review the literature of a case of stereotactic radiation in SFT ...

OBJECTIVE To analyze the long-term effects of subcranial surgery for anterior skull base tumors on facial growth. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING Retrospective study (1994 to 2004) in a university-affiliated hospital. Of 108 patients who underwent a subcranial surgical approach for anterior skull base tumors, six adolescents and five young adults fulfilled study entry criteria for age and follow-up ...

Over the past 100 years, the evaluation and management of lateral skull base tumors have evolved tremendously. While most pathology involving the temporal bone and cerebellopontine angle is histologically benign, significant morbidity may occur as a result of disease progression or treatment. At the turn of the twentieth century, mortality from cerebellopontine angle tumor extirpation exceeded ...