Temporal bone pathology of metastatic T-cell lymphoma

Metastatic lymphoma involving the temporal bone is a rare tumour. A review of the English literature revealed only 13 reported cases. The common metastatic sites within the temporal bone are bone marrow and the internal auditory canal (IAC). Non-Hodgkin lymphoma has a tendency to infiltrate to the inner ear and middle ear, with bone marrow involvement. Recent advances in immunology have redefined the malignant lymphoma as a neoplasm of the immune system that has involved T and B cells. We present a case of non-Hodgkin T-cell lymphoma that metastasized to the temporal bone and central nervous system.