Temporal Bone Malignancies Involving the Jugular Foramen: Diagnosis and Management

PURPOSE: To describe the diagnosis, management and outcomes of temporal bone malignancies involving the jugular foramen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The charts of 12 patients with temporal bone malignancies involving the jugular foramen were reviewed and analyzed. RESULTS: The most frequent symptoms of temporal bone malignancies involving the jugular foramen were hearing loss (75%), otorrhea (66.67%) and otalgia (66.67%). In addition to the jugular foramen, the most invaded structure was the external auditory canal (91.67%), followed by the middle ear (75%) and facial nerve (58.33%). Four cases (33.33%) were misdiagnosed either with glomus jugulare tumor, Bell's palsy or chronic otitis media. Two patients underwent lateral temporal bone resection, whereas 10 patients underwent subtotal temporal bone resection. The mean follow-up time was 23.83 months (range, 2-85 months). The 2-year disease-free survival rate was 42.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Temporal bone malignancies involving the jugular foramen had a poor prognosis, especially in patients with squamous cell carcinoma. Misdiagnoses including glomus jugulare tumor, Bell's palsy and chronic otitis media were frequently encountered. Temporal bone malignancies involving the jugular foramen can be resected, and the choice of the surgical approach should be individualized.