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Case Reports
. 2025 Jul 8;17(7):e87512.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.87512. eCollection 2025 Jul.

Myositis Ossificans of the Temporalis Muscle Following Neurosurgical Intervention: A Report of a Rare Case and Literature Review

Asterios Antoniou  1 , Dimitris Tatsis  1 , Alexandros Louizakis  1 , Kalliopi Domvri  2 , Konstantinos Paraskevopoulos  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Myositis Ossificans of the Temporalis Muscle Following Neurosurgical Intervention: A Report of a Rare Case and Literature Review

Asterios Antoniou et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Myositis ossificans (MO) is a rare benign condition characterized by heterotopic bone formation within soft tissues, with masticatory muscle involvement being exceptionally uncommon. This case report describes a 45-year-old male patient who developed progressive trismus and a preauricular mass six months after right frontotemporal craniotomy for meningioma resection. Imaging revealed an ossified lesion in the temporalis muscle, consistent with post-traumatic MO. Surgical management involved zygomatic arch osteotomy and coronoidectomy, restoring intraoperative mouth opening to 23 mm. Histopathology confirmed mature lamellar bone, supporting the diagnosis. At six-month follow-up, the patient achieved full functional recovery with no recurrence. This case highlights the importance of considering MO in post-craniotomy trismus and the role of timely surgical intervention in established lesions.

Keywords: craniotomy; heterotopic ossification; myositis ossificans; temporalis muscle; trismus.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Informed consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. The Scientific Committee of the General Hospital Thessaloniki Georgios (G.H.T.G.) Papanikolaou issued approval 398/3.6.2025. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. 3D reconstruction of the CT scan of the patient
The ectopic ossified lesion in the temporal fossa can be distinguished anteromedial to the right zygomatic arch (yellow arrow). The previous right frontotemporal craniotomy site can also be seen (red arrow). CT: computed tomography
Figure 2
Figure 2. (A) Preoperative maximum interincisal opening and (B) postoperative maximum interincisal opening
Figure 3
Figure 3. Pathology report: (A) peripheral mature lamellar bone (black arrow) (hematoxylin and eosin, ×20) and (B) peripheral mature lamellar bone (hematoxylin and eosin, ×40)
Figure 4
Figure 4. Pathology report: (A) transition zone from immature to mature bone tissue (hematoxylin and eosin, ×20) and (B) immature bone (black arrow) with fibroblasts and vascularity (hematoxylin and eosin, ×40)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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