Chondroblastoma of the temporal base with high mitotic activity

A 24-year-old man presented with a rare chondroblastoma of the temporal base manifesting as local pain accompanied by difficulty in opening the mouth. Gross total removal was achieved at initial surgery, but the tumor demonstrated rapid and destructive regrowth from a very small residual volume without definite histological malignant transformation. Growth activity estimated by MIB-1 staining increased spontaneously from 2.5% at the initial operation to 18.7% at recurrence. Further extensive radical tumor removal by surgeons from multiple disciplines was performed. The patient has been free of recurrence for 3 years without radiotherapy. Chondroblastoma of the temporal bone is widely accepted as a benign tumor and regrowth after gross total removal is very rare. However, some cases of chondroblastoma have potentially high mitotic activity.