Solitary fibrous tumor of the petrous bone: a successful treatment option.

The patient was a 48-year-old man complaining about right hemicranial pain and deafness of 1 year's duration. MRI showed a solid well-vascularized mass destroying the mastoid and petrous bone, and with an epidural component that pulled the right cerebellar hemisphere. The patient underwent a right modified type A infratemporal approach, which allowed complete resection of the tumor, with a low morbidity. The pathological diagnosis was solitary fibrous tumor. The patient received complementary treatment with radiotherapy. At 24 months after the initial treatment the patient is free of disease. We conclude that solitary fibrous tumor of the petrous bone can be satisfactorily treated with surgical excision followed by radiotherapy, with low morbidity and excellent facial function. To our knowledge this is the first description of a solitary fibrous tumor of the petrous bone. Due to the lack of consensus in treating rare tumors, we want to offer this management approach for treating this kind of tumor.