Sinonasal inverted papilloma involving the temporal bone via the eustachian tube: case report.

OBJECTIVE: This study reports a case of a sinonasal inverted papilloma with spread to the temporal bone via the eustachian tube and subsequent transformation to squamous cell carcinoma.

METHOD: An 81-year-old woman presented with sinonasal inverted papilloma which subsequently spread to the ear. A literature review of inverted papilloma was carried out based on a Pubmed search of studies published between 1987 and 2011, using the key words 'sinonasal inverted papilloma', 'temporal bone inverted papilloma' and 'squamous cell carcinoma'.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Sinonasal and temporal bone inverted papillomas may sometimes be linked through direct spread via the eustachian tube. Inverted papillomas have the potential for malignant transformation; careful monitoring of both the nose and ear is therefore required for inverted papillomas found in the nasopharynx.