Resection of a large cavernous hemangioma following preoperative embolization in a child’s Temporal Bone

Abstract

Primary intraosseous cavernous hemangiomas (PICHs) in the temporal bone are very rare. Most treated cases are in adult patients, and there are very few reports involving children. To our knowledge, no cases reported have ever actually adopted embolization in children, although several reports recommend preoperative embolization of the feeding arteries. Here, we present a case of a child with a large cavernous hemangioma developing in the temporal bone. The patient was an 11-year-old girl whose chief complaints were hearing loss, aural fullness, and otalgia. Based on imaging, a lymphoma was initially suspected, but extensive arterial bleeding occurred during biopsy under local anesthesia. Angiography was performed to evaluate the blood flow in the tumor, and revealed the middle meningeal artery as a main feeding artery to the tumor. A huge PICH at the temporal bone was successfully resected following preoperative embolization of the feeding artery.