Walsh & Hoyt: Benign Tumors of Bone and Cartilage

Tumors other than chordomas rarely arise in the bones of the skull. Osteoma is a benign, slow-growing tumor which is the most common benign tumor of the paranasal sinuses. Osteomas usually arise within the paranasal sinuses and produce otolaryngologic symptoms and signs, such as nasal obstruction and epistaxis. While usually incidental and asymptomatic, when they do cause symptoms, the most common symptoms are headache and facial pain. They may also encroach upon the orbit and produce proptosis, diplopia, and decreased vision. Osteomas are composed of compact bone devoid of any significant fibrovascular stroma. Orbital osteomas may occur spontaneously or as part of Gardners syndrome, one of the familial polyposis syndromes.