Basal cell carcinoma of the middle ear--a natural history.

The natural course of basal cell carcinoma of the middle ear is described. This tumour is extremely rarely found in the middle ear and only two cases have been reported to date. The appearance of the tumour was heralded by earache and deafness, followed years later by wide local destruction of the temporal and parietal bones, base of skull, facial palsy and multiple distant metastases. The patient refused both surgical and irradiation therapy and died 10 years after the initial diagnosis.