Temporal Bone Pathology in Maxillary Sinus Carcinoma; A Study of 25 Temporal Bones

Abstract

We studied the pathology of 25 temporal bones of 15 patients with maxillary sinus carcinoma. Nine of them (60%) showed temporal bone invasion from maxillary sinus carcinoma. Of 14 temporal bones on the same side as the maxillary sinus carcinoma, eight (57%) showed carcinomatous invasion. Of 11 temporal bones on the contralateral side, three (27%) showed carcinomatous invasion.
Of 10 bilateral temporal bones removed from patients with maxillary sinus carcinoma, bilateral carcinomatous invasion was observed in two (20%). The most common site of carcinomatous invasion was the petrous portion.
The main routes of carcinomatous invasion of the temporal bone from maxillary sinus carcinoma were as follows: 1) via invasive destruction of the posterior wall of the maxillary sinus, the base of the skull, and the temporal bone; 2) via destruction of the ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses, the base of the skull, and the temporal bone; 3) the fallopian canal; and 4) the carotid canal. Invasion was frequently by routes 1 and 2 but in only one case each was invasion by routes 3 and 4.