Tuberculosis of the temporalis muscle is a rare clinical entity. Diagnosis is difficult because there are no specific clinical, radiological or biological signs of the disease. Only bacteriological and histopathological findings can confirm the diagnosis. Treatment is based on anti-tuberculous drugs and allows usually a favourable evolution. The aim of this paper is to report a case of primary tuberculosis of the temporalis muscle in a 67-year-old female, and to stress the corresponding diagnostic pitfalls.