BACKGROUND: Carcinoma of the external ear canal and the middle ear is a rather rare event and is especially seen in patients with chronic inflammatory ear disease. PATIENTS: Between 1993 and 1994, we treated seven patients with such a tumor, of which six proved to be a squamous cell carcinoma and one presumably adenocarcinoma. In three patients, the malignoma developed in a radical cavity of the ear and caused a facial palsy. Only two patients were without any discharge of the ear. Beside facial palsy, hemorrhagic otorrhea and otalgia were the leading symptoms. One patient presented with a bilateral painless swelling of the neck due to lymph node metastasis. Diagnosis was made by means of biopsy in only three patients and on the basis of a resected specimen after mastoidectomy in four patients. Angiography and computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging studies were performed prior to treatment to determine the extent of the tumor. RESULTS: The tumor was resected by petrosectomy, parotidectomy, and neck dissection in 5 patients. Three times the margins of the histological specimen were free of tumor. Lymph node metastasis in the neck were seen in 5 cases, while distant metastasis did not occur. Two patients underwent primary irradiation, but a postoperative radiation therapy was performed five times. To date, three patients died after one year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Carcinoma of the temporal bone is a rare tumor, which can be treated only in case of early diagnosis.
BACKGROUND:Carcinoma of the external ear canal and the middle ear is a rather rare event and is especially seen in patients with chronic inflammatory ear disease. PATIENTS: Between 1993 and 1994, we treated seven patients with such a tumor, of which six proved to be a squamous cell carcinoma and one presumably adenocarcinoma. In three patients, the malignoma developed in a radical cavity of the ear and caused a facial palsy. Only two patients were without any discharge of the ear. Beside facial palsy, hemorrhagic otorrhea and otalgia were the leading symptoms. One patient presented with a bilateral painless swelling of the neck due to lymph node metastasis. Diagnosis was made by means of biopsy in only three patients and on the basis of a resected specimen after mastoidectomy in four patients. Angiography and computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging studies were performed prior to treatment to determine the extent of the tumor. RESULTS: The tumor was resected by petrosectomy, parotidectomy, and neck dissection in 5 patients. Three times the margins of the histological specimen were free of tumor. Lymph node metastasis in the neck were seen in 5 cases, while distant metastasis did not occur. Two patients underwent primary irradiation, but a postoperative radiation therapy was performed five times. To date, three patients died after one year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS:Carcinoma of the temporal bone is a rare tumor, which can be treated only in case of early diagnosis.