Haemangioma of the temporal bone.

INTRODUCTION: Haemangiomas of the temporal bone are rare tumours and haemangiomas involving the middle ear are even rarer. The exceptional nature of these lesions makes their management particularly complicated. CASE REPORT: The authors report the case of a 16-year-old girl, who presented with an osteolytic lesion of the left petrous temporal bone that proved to be a haemangioma with extension to the middle ear, causing conductive hearing loss. DISCUSSION: Surgical biopsy is essential to establish the diagnosis of haemangioma because imaging alone only rarely provides a definitive diagnosis. Surgery is the reference treatment to prevent recurrence. Arteriography is an essential part of the preoperative assessment in order to limit the risk of bleeding.