Primary intracranial myxoma of the lateral skull base: a rare entity in clinical practice

Abstract

Myxomas are rare benign tumors arising from mesenchymal tissues throughout the body. These tumors are usually seen in the atrium of the heart and the jawbone. Involvement of the skull base with intracranial extension is extremely rare, and only a few cases of primary intracranial myxomas have been described in the literature. A rare case of primary myxoma of the temporal bone is presented in this article. The patient underwent a skull base surgery with a pre-diagnosis of possible chondrosarcoma. The tumor pathology revealed a diagnosis of myxoma with bone and meningeal involvement. Despite the radical surgery, the tumor showed a local recurrence in three years. A second surgery with subtotal petrosectomy was required. In the article, the etiology, histological and radiological findings as well as treatment options of this rare entity were briefly discussed under the highlights of the relevant literature. Such a localization and intracranial extension of myxomas is extremely unusual in clinical practice; the diagnosis therefore requires a high degree of suspicion and detailed histopathological examination. The differential diagnosis frequently includes chondrosarcomas, chordoma, metastatic tumors of the skull, hemangiopericytoma, meningioma and other neoplasms of the dura and skull base in this location.