Temporal muscle abscess in children usually occurs from acute otitis media, and rapid progression and concomitant infectious disease often make it easy to diagnose. We report a rare case of a nine-month-old infant who showed right temporal mass with no evidence of infection. Computed tomography showed an osteolytic round mass, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed heterogenous enhancement with a high apparent diffusion coefficient. Malignant tumor was first suspected, but an open biopsy revealed the swelling to be temporal muscle abscess. It should be noted that temporal abscess may mimic the features of a malignant tumor, and multiple examinations should be performed for an accurate diagnosis.
Keywords: infant; malignant tumor; temporal muscle abscess.