Pseudotumour of the temporal bone: an unusual [corrected] cause of otorrhoea and facial palsy.

An inflammatory pseudotumour of the temporal bone is a rare, idiopathic, fibro-inflammatory lesion which mimics malignancy. Although such a lesion is known to occur elsewhere in the body such as the liver, abdominal viscera, pelvis, thorax and the upper respiratory tract, the involvement of the temporal bone is extremely unusual. We present such a case in a 60-year-old man, which provided a great diagnostic challenge. We review the key radiological and histological results that confirmed the diagnosis and demonstrated for the first time that oral steroids alone may completely resolve the condition.