[Carcinoid tumor of the middle ear. Morphology, immunohistochemistry, clinical aspects and differential diagnosis].

We describe the unusual case of a carcinoid tumour of the middle ear occurring in a woman of 50 years of age. The tumour exhibited both glandular and neuroendocrine differentiation. Immunohistochemical demonstration of chromogranin A is of particular diagnostic importance as evidence of neuroendocrine differentiation. The morphological spectrum of the middle ear tumours with neuroendocrine and/or glandular differentiation reported in the literature is discussed in detail. These tumours are arranged schematically according to the degree of glandular and of neuroendocrine differentiation, and are compared with the tumours of other regions. The data in the literature do not allow unequivocal assertions concerning the prognosis of carcinoid tumours of the middle ear to be made, and very diverse therapeutic measures have been employed in the reported cases. In our case there is no evidence of recurrence six months after local tumour excision.