Childhood temporal bone osteoblastoma: a case report

Osteoblastoma is a rare primary tumor of the bone. Its sites of predilection are the vertebrae and the long bones. Occurrence in the skull is rare. The authors describe an unusual case of osteoblastoma occurring in the temporal bone of a child. Interestingly, although the clinical and radiological features were suggestive of an aggressive lesion, the histological features were consistent with that of a benign tumor. Although generally regarded as benign, osteoblastoma has potential for recurrence, local invasion, and, rarely, malignant transformation. As such, complete resection, whenever possible, is preferred over conventional curettage.