Introduction: Cartilaginous tumors of the mid-face and the skull base are rare.
Case report: For the first time, a case report of a chondroma of the base of the ear in a 56-year-old woman is presented. In 1974 the patient developed a facial nerve paralysis while she was pregnant. Twenty-two years later the patient developed persistent headache and CT studies of the head were obtained, which showed an extensive tumorous lesion located at the base of the ear. A tumor was resected through an otoneurosurgical approach. The histological examination showed a chondroma.
Conclusions: Even the rare diagnosis of a chondroma should be considered for a differential diagnosis of skull base tumors.