Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  1999 Apr;42(4):517-521.

A Case of Inflammatory Pseudotumor Involving Skull Base and Cervical Spine

• Cho YS
• Kim SM
• Na DG
• Ahn YC

Abstract

Inflammatory pseudotumors are idiopathic conditions characterized by the onset of sclerosing inflammation which mimick a neoplastic process. Inflammatory pseudotumors involving skull base and cervical spine are distinctly rare and usually indistinguishable from aggressive neoplasms or infection at these areas. We report a case of inflammatory pseudotumor involving skull base and cervical spine that was confirmed histologically by nasopharyngeal biopsies. Initially, the patient complained of headache and hearing loss without cranial nerve dysfunction. We tried two cycles of oral steroid therapy resulting in only partial responses. Low doses of radiation therapy was followed with partial remission. However, as the lesions progressed and infiltrated into the cervical vertebral bodies, cervical subluxation and quadriparesis developed. We tried again low doses of radiation to the cervical spine. Dramatic improvement was observed clinically and radiologically, but the patient showed general weakness and died of sepsis.

Keyword

Inflammatory pseudotumor; Skull base; Cervical spine; Steroid; Radiation

MeSH Terms

Biopsy
Cranial Nerves
Granuloma, Plasma Cell*
Headache
Hearing Loss
Humans
Inflammation
Quadriplegia
Sepsis
Skull Base*
Skull*
Spine*