Osteomas of the internal auditory canal are rare lesions, with only 12 reported cases in the world literature. Symptoms are those of eighth nerve compression, and include unilateral hearing loss and vestibular weakness, thus mimicking symptoms of acoustic neuroma. We report a patient with an osteoma of the internal auditory canal, along with a review of the literature. We note age and sex characteristics from the literature, give evidence of localized trauma as a possible etiologic factor for this lesion, and discuss the pitfalls of relying exclusively on magnetic resonance imaging in the workup of suspected retrocochlear lesions.
GrahamMD. Osteomas and exostoses of the external auditory canal. A clinical, histopathologic and scanning electron microscopic study. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol1979;88: 566–72.
2.
DeniaAPerezFCanalisRRGrahamMD. Extracanalicular osteomas of the temporal bone. Arch Otolaryngol1979; 105: 706–9.
3.
FleschM. Stenose des innerenGehörganges durch Hyperostosis cranii. Arch Ohrenheilkd1882;18: 66–8.
MoosSSteinbruggeH. Hyperostosen- und Exostosenbildung, Hammerkopf-Ankylose, knöcherner Verschluss des runden Fensters, colloide Entartung des Hörnerven in dem Felsenbein einer 80 jährigen hallucinirenden Geisteskranken. Z Ohrenheilkd1882;11: 48–51.
6.
DebainJJSiardetJKopiloffG. Surdité par exostose du conduit auditif interne. Ann Otolaryngol Chir Cervicofac1965; 82: 94–5.
RobertoMEttorreGCIuratoS. Stenosis of the internal auditory canal. J Laryngol Otol1979;93: 1211–6.
11.
SmeltGJC. Exostoses of the internal auditory canal. J Laryngol Otol1984;98: 347–50.
12.
BealeDJPhelpsPD. Osteomas of the temporal bone: a report of three cases. Clin Radiol1987;38: 67–9.
13.
NavratilJ. Transtemporal neurectomy of the vestibular nerve for vertigo caused by exostosis of the internal auditory canal. Cesk Otolaryngol1988;37: 106–8.
14.
DoanHTPowellJS. Exostosis of the internal auditory canal. J Laryngol Otol1988;102: 173–5.
15.
EstremSAVesselyMBOroJJ. Osteoma of the internal auditory canal. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg1993;108: 293–7.
16.
GrollmanARousseauJP. Metabolic craniopathy: clinical and roentgenographic study of so-called hyperostosis frontalis interna. JAMA1944;126: 213–7.
17.
SalmiAVoutilainenAHolstiLRUnnerusCE. Hyperostosis cranii in a normal population. Am J Roentgenol1962;87: 1032–40.
FultonJDShandJRitchieDMcGheeJ. Hyperostosis frontalis interna, acromegaly and hyperprolactinemia. Postgrad Med J1990;66: 16–9.
20.
LittlejohnGOHallSBrandCADavidsonA. New bone formation in acromegaly: pathogenic implications for diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. Clin Exp Rheumatol1986;4: 99–104.
21.
HrycekABochBSzotysikI. Morgagni-Stewart-Morel syndrome in a young man. Wiad Lek1989;42: 1060–3.
22.
ManniJJScafJJHuygenPICruysbergJRVerhagenWI. Hyperostosis cranialis interna: a new syndrome with autosomal dominant inheritance. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd1990;134–1697–701.
23.
MillerNRGrayJSnipR. Giant mushroom-shaped osteoma of the orbit originating from the maxillary sinus. Am J Ophthalmol1977;83: 587–91.
24.
GermanT. Multiple small tumors in the mastoid process. Z Hals Nasen Ohrenheilkd1927;18: 339–49.
25.
HallbergOEBegleyJWJr. Origin and treatment of osteomas of the paranasal sinuses. Arch Otolaryngol1950;51: 750–60.
26.
SercerAKrmpoticJ. Thirty years of otosclerosis studies. Arch Otolaryngol1966;84: 598–606.
27.
SugitaMMasutaniHMoriguchiMMatsunagaKNakaiY. Distribution of arteries from brain stem to inner ear around the internal auditory canal. Acta Otolaryngol [Suppl] (Stockh) 1991 (Suppl 486):45–52.
28.
FriedbergSA. Osteoma of the mastoid process. Arch Otolaryngol1938;28: 20–6.
29.
TunkelDEScottJCZinreichSJ. Frontal mucopyocele and epidural abscess secondary to frontoethmoidal osteoma. Am J Rhinol1992;6: 79–84.
30.
GlasscockMEShambaughGE. Surgery of the ear. 4th ed.Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders, 1990: 539.
31.
SomPMBergeronRT. Head and neck imaging. 2nd ed.St Louis, Mo: Mosby-Year Book, 1991: 1047.
32.
GentryLR. Cerebellopontine angle-petromastoid mass lesions: comparative study of diagnosis with MR imaging and CT. Radiology1987;162: 513–7.
33.
HouseWF. Surgical exposure of the internal auditory canal and its contents through the middle, cranial fossa. Laryngoscope1961;71: 1363–85.
34.
ThomsenJ. Suboccipital removal of acoustic neuromas. Results of 125 operations. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 1976;81: 406–14.
