Facial nerve palsy as the first sign of late breast cancer metastasis to the temporal bone

Abstract

Introduction. Late metastases of malignant tumors in the temporal bone are very rare lesions. They can be asymptomatic for a long time, and usually manifest themselves in the form of hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus, and paralysis of the facial nerve. Modern radiological diagnostics and explorative surgery with biopsy are essential for diagnosis. Case report. We present a rare and unusual case of a 66-year-old female patient with a facial nerve paralysis that appeared as the first sign of metastatic breast cancer in the temporal bone 10 years after treatment. A sudden hearing loss and dizziness occurred six months later and value of CA 15-3 was elevated. Scintigraphy pointed to susceptible metastatic deposits of the axial skeleton, without lesions in the temporal bone. Finally, repeated computerized tomography revealed osteolytic changes of the temporal bone six months after that. Immunohistochemical analysis of mastoid tissue samples confirmed that it was a breast cancer metastasis. One year after palliative radiotherapy and oral hormone therapy, a patient has a good general condition with better function of the facial nerve. Conclusion. A high degree of clinical suspicion sometimes requires repeated radiological diagnostics in order to detect osteolytic metastatic changes in the temporal bone, but also in other bone structures within the hematogenous dissemination of the malignant disease.