Eosinophilic granuloma of the temporal bone. Two cases with bilateral involvement.

Bilateral involvement of the temporal bones is a rare manifestation of eosinophilic granuloma, a disease characterized by solitary or multiple foci of osteolytic damage. We report two cases in which the ambiguous and unusual initial symptoms and clinical course constituted a difficult diagnostic problem. In each case, the therapeutic approach used was different: the first was treated with a combination of radiotherapy and corticosteroids and the second with a combination of chemotherapy and corticosteroids. We have reviewed the literature, and the possible symptoms and clinical course are described. We report our views on the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of the disease.