title: Patterns of involvement of the temporal bone in metastatic and systemic malignancy.
abstract: The temporal bone appears to be involved with secondary malignant processes in discrete histologic patterns with rather characteristic clinical presentations. Five distinct types of involvement can be recognized: isolated metastasis from a distant primary tumor; direct extension from a regional primary tumor; meningeal carcinomatosis; leptomeningeal extension from an intracranial primary tumor; and leukemic or lymphomatous infiltration. The typical histopathological patterns are described with correlative clinical symtomatology. Differential diagnosis is considered, and guidelines for surgical management are discussed.
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000473:pathology; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D012888:Skull Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery