Intracranial basal cell carcinoma with extensive invasion of the skull base.

Intracranial invasion of basal cell carcinoma is very rare. A case of a 71-year-old male patient is presented with extensive invasion of middle and posterior fossae, with nearly complete destruction of the petrous bone, involving cerebellopontine angle and cranial nerves by recurrent basal cell carcinoma of the auricular region on the right side. The clinical manifestation was cerebrospinal fluid otorrhoea, facial nerve palsy and trigeminal nerve impairment with hypoesthesia. The patient underwent surgery by combined retroauricular and temporal approach to the skull base. Adjuvant radiation of residual tumor and former tumor recurrence region was performed. MRI studies performed annually show no progress of the tumor. Our patient reports a good quality of life without new neurological deficits 6 years after surgery. Attention should be paid to the malignant nature of basal cell carcinoma making follow up care necessary. In indicated cases in which incomplete excision cannot be excepted and risk factors exist, follow up with CT or/and MRI should be performed to evaluate the infiltrative and invasive character of aggressive basal cell carcinoma and to rule out bone or cerebral infiltration.