Temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma: Aggressive behavior coursing with cerebellar invasion and hydrocephalus.

BACKGROUND: Temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma (TBSCC) is a very rare condition. The prognosis is dismal for advanced tumors. Due to its rarity, information in the literature is scarce. Here, we report a unique case of TBSCC with cerebellar invasion and hydrocephalus.

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 46-year-old reported right-sided hearing loss and a painful right retroauricular mass for 4 months. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 8.7 × 7.6 × 6.4 cm mass invading the right temporal and occipital bones. After a biopsy and 3 surgical procedures over 6 months, the diagnosis of TBSCC was obtained. Due to invasion of the cerebellar tissue and obstructive hydrocephalus, a ventriculoperitoneal shunt was performed. The patient was referred for adjuvant radiotherapy. However, palliative care was initiated due to tumor progression.

CONCLUSION: We report a case of advanced TBSCC with poor prognosis despite surgical treatment and radiotherapy. More data are necessary to provide new and better treatment to these patients.