Temporal bone mucocele with extension to mastoid in a 60-year-old male: a case report and literature review.

Introduction: Mucoceles, characterized by cystic lesions with sterile mucus accumulation, mostly occur in the paranasal but rarely affect the temporal-mastoid bone. The pathogenesis involves obstruction of natural drainage or cyst enlargement. Here, the authors present a rare case of temporal-mastoid mucocele with temporal hypertrophy. Case presentation: A 60-year-old male presented with progressive painless right temporal region swelling associated with diminished hearing, headache, fever and ear symptoms. Audiometry indicated a profound hearing loss in the right ear. Computed tomography (CT) of the right temporal bone and MRI brain revealed a large, destructive lesion involving the right temporal mastoid suggesting temporal-mastoid mucocele. Surgical excision of the mucocele and mastoid exploration were performed. Postoperative recovery was uneventful, with significant improvement in symptoms. Clinical discussion: Temporal bone mucoceles are rare, with few cases reported in the literature. Their etiology remains unclear, although chronic otitis media may be associated in some cases. Clinical presentations may vary, ranging from asymptomatic to symptoms such as serous otitis media, retroauricular edema, or cholesteatoma. Expansion of the mucocele cavity can lead to bone erosion or remodeling, potentially causing hearing loss. Differentials should include cholesteatoma, histiocytosis, and cholesterol granuloma. Imaging such as temporal bone CT and MRI are crucial for diagnosing, with characteristic findings on T2W images helping in differentiation. Surgical treatment, such as mastoidectomy with marsupialization or complete lesion removal, is indicated to prevent complications and reduce the risk of recurrence. Conclusion: This study reports a unique case of concomitant temporal-mastoid mucocele with involvement of organs of hearing with temporal bone hypertrophy.

Large posterior mediastinal ganglioneuroma with intradural cervical spine extension: A rare case report and review of literature.

Introduction: Ganglioneuroma (GN) is a rare benign tumor of ganglion cell origin and can occur anywhere along the sympathetic chain. These tumors can grow to a significant size without any symptoms unless they exert a mass effect on the region they grow and start showing symptoms. Spinal extensions are rare and they may produce neurological symptoms warranting further investigation. Case presentation: We described a case of posterior mediastinal ganglioneuroma in a 4-year-old boy with cervical extension who presented with quadriparesis. The radiological scan revealed large ganglioneuroma having an intradural extramedullary extension with a large posterior mediastinal component compressing and displacing the surrounding structures. He underwent consecutive surgeries for complete excision of the tumor following which he regained his power in his upper and lower limbs over the period of 2 months. Conclusion: Para spinal mass with consistent radiological features suggests ganglioneuroma but confirmation should be done with biopsy. Complete excision of the tumor is the treatment of choice with close follow-up for clinical improvement and recurrence.