Myositis Ossificans of the Temporalis Muscle Following Neurosurgical Intervention: A Report of a Rare Case and Literature Review

TL;DR

A rare case of myositis ossificans in the temporalis muscle following brain surgery is reported, showing successful surgical treatment and full recovery.

Contribution

This report adds a rare clinical case of post-craniotomy myositis ossificans with successful surgical management and functional recovery.

Findings

A patient developed myositis ossificans in the temporalis muscle after meningioma surgery.

Surgical intervention restored mouth opening and led to full functional recovery.

Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of mature lamellar bone formation.

Abstract

Myositis ossificans (MO) is a rare benign condition characterized by heterotopic bone formation within soft tissues, with masticatory muscle involvement being exceptionally uncommon. This case report describes a 45-year-old male patient who developed progressive trismus and a preauricular mass six months after right frontotemporal craniotomy for meningioma resection. Imaging revealed an ossified lesion in the temporalis muscle, consistent with post-traumatic MO. Surgical management involved zygomatic arch osteotomy and coronoidectomy, restoring intraoperative mouth opening to 23 mm. Histopathology confirmed mature lamellar bone, supporting the diagnosis. At six-month follow-up, the patient achieved full functional recovery with no recurrence. This case highlights the importance of considering MO in post-craniotomy trismus and the role of timely surgical intervention in established lesions.

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