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Skull base osteomyelitis interpreted as malignancy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

N. Subburaman
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, UK.
M. K. Chaurasia*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, UK.
*
Address for correspondence: Mr M. K. Chaurasia, F.R.C.S. (Ed.), Consultant Otolaryngologist, Department of ENT, Pilgrim Hospital, Sibsey Road, Boston, PE21 9QS. Fax: 01205 354 395 e-mail: nagarth@hotmail.com

Abstract

Lesions in the skull base may present difficulties in diagnosis primarily because the access needs to be invasive and one has to rely on imaging that may still be misleading. The case presented here illustrates this example in that the patient had abnormalities on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance image (MRI) scans quite convincing of malignancy but which with time proved, essentially through clinical judgment, to be skull base osteomyelitis secondary to malignant external otitis (OME).

Type
Radiology in Focus
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1999

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