Abstract
Two primary and one secondary case of giant cell tumor of the skull were presented.
Case 1 was a 34-year-old male with a benign giant cell tumor of the left temporal bone. He had complained of progressive tinnitus and difficulty in hearing in the left ear for six years. Disturbance of the fifth, and the seventh to the eleventh cranial nerves on the left were observed on admission. Craniograms showed bony destruction of the left temporal bone and of the pterygoid process of the sphenoid bone. The tumor was subtotally removed and no signs of recurrence were observed 8 years postoperatively. Case 2 was a 20-year-old female with a malignant giant cell tumor of the sphenoid bone. She complained of double vision and decreased visual acuity. Left oculomotor palsy, decreased right visual acuity, visual field defects, and a slight papilledema were noticed on admission. Pituitary functions were normal. Bony destruction of the sella and of the anterior half of the clivus were shown on craniograms. CT scan revealed an enhanced mass in the sphenoid sinus extending upwards to the suprachiasmatic cistern. Partial removal of the extradural tumor, 6, 000 rads of radiation, and chemotherapy were performed. However, the patient progressively deteriorated and the bilateral internal carotid arteries became obliterated by tumor encroachment 2 months after the operation. Case 3 was a 65-year-old female with a metastatic malignant giant cell tumor of the left parietal bone. She noticed a subcutaneous tumor in the left parietal region when the third recurrence of giant cell tumor of the left knee joint occurred. The skull tumor was totally removed. Histological examination showed that the tumor had invaded the dura mater.
