A Case Report of Brain Herniation into the Middle Ear Mimicking as Secondary Cholesteatoma Following Temporal Bone Fracture / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

Brain herniation into the middle ear cavity is a rare entity that occurs mostly as a complication of otologic surgery. Other causes include a congenital skull base defect, infection, trauma, neoplasm and irradiation. It gives rise to cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea, progressive hearing loss, tinnitus, meningitis and other neurologic symptoms. Such patients tend to be misdiagnosed as having chronic otitis media and are often treated for long periods with inadequate conservative therapy. We report a case of brain herniation into the middle ear following traumatic temporal bone fracture, which was treated surgically via a transmastoid approach.