Osteoblastoma of the temporal bone.

Benign osteoblastoma is an uncommon primary tumor of the bone. Any area of the skeleton may be affected by this tumor, but its occurrence in the temporal bone and middle ear is extremely rare. Clinical symptoms are nonspecific, even in the middle ear, and the diagnosis is often difficult in spite a complete physical and radiological examination. A biopsy is usually necessary for definitive diagnosis. Because of its potential for recurrence, local invasion, and, rarely, malignant transformation, a complete surgical excision remains the treatment of choice for osteoblastoma. We report a case of benign osteoblastoma involving the temporal bone and the middle ear and a review of the literature.