ABSTRACT

Petrous apex lesions are rare. However, a wide number of entities may be seen during radiological studies of the head and neck. In addition to malignant pathologies, a variety of benign lesions can be discovered within this structure, such as cholesterol granuloma, cholesteatoma, cephalocele, mucocele, apical petrositis, and Langerhans cell histiocytosis. In addition to these lesions, a number of normal imaging variants may complicate the diagnosis. An understanding of the patterns and extent of disease processes of the petrous apex facilitates diagnosis and staging. Plain radiography, high-resolution computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion-weighted sequences can be used in the assessment of petrous apex.