A rare entity: Benign osteonecrosis of the temporal bone

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Rare Diseases
• Bone Pathology

Background:

• Benign osteonecrosis of the temporal bone is a rare and poorly understood condition.
• Diagnostic challenges exist due to the lack of a specific ICD-10 code.
• Differentiating it from other disorders is complex.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate potential contributing factors to benign osteonecrosis of the temporal bone.
• Differentiate this rare disease from other disorders.
• Identify potential risk factors and aid clinical diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of otolaryngology electronic medical records (EMR) from January 2014 to June 2020.
• Inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied to filter patients.
• Demographic information and clinical courses were qualitatively compared.

Main Results:

• Three male patients aged 67-78 were identified.
• All patients had a history of hypertension.
• Two out of three patients also had diabetes.

Conclusions:

• Benign osteonecrosis of the temporal bone is rare and difficult to diagnose.
• Limited patient numbers hinder definitive risk factor identification.
• Further research with larger patient cohorts is essential for understanding risk factors and diagnosis.