title: Inflammatory pseudotumor of the fossa pterygopalatina: diagnosis and treatment.
abstract: Pseudotumor is a term used to describe a space-occupying inflammatory lesion of unknown etiology that clinically simulates a neoplastic process. Pseudotumors of the fossa pterygopalatina and fossa infratemporalis are very rare. In this paper, we describe a patient who developed a pseudotumor in the left fossa pterygopalatina, secondary to an unclassified autoimmune disease, which caused progressive left-sided facialdynia and swelling. The tumor was detected with somatostatin receptor scintigraphy. The lesion was refractory to steroids, also in combination with azathioprine, as well as to surgical intervention. An excellent clinical response was observed after cyclosporine was added. This case is presented here in order to draw attention to the use of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy as a diagnostic tool in visualizing pseudotumors and to document a case that responded excellently to treatment with a combination of low-dose cyclosporine and steroids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Internal Medicine, Dijkzigt University Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: de Ruiter
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kwekkeboom
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Mooi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Knegt
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Tanghe
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: van Hagen
mesh_terms: D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006104:Granuloma, Plasma Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008437:Maxilla; D008875:Middle Aged; D013100:Sphenoid Bone