Pigmented villonodular synovitis of the temporomandibular joint. Case report and review of the literature.

A case of pigmented villonodular synovitis of the right temporomandibular joint with extension through the base of the skull into the middle cranial fossa is described. The patient initially had right-sided hearing loss. Physical examination revealed a mass in the right ear canal. Computerized axial tomography demonstrated a destructive lesion of the right temporomandibular joint, with extension into the middle cranial fossa. The surgical approach is discussed, and the 11 previously reported cases are reviewed.