Tumours of the external ear and temporal bone

Abstract

Symptoms such as hearing impairment, tinnitus, or a disturbance in sense of balance can generally be attributed to non-neoplastic causes, such as otitis media, otosclerosis, or trauma. Less commonly, auricular signs and symptoms are the result of non-neoplastic and neoplastic space-occupying lesions. The external ear can be the site of development of squamous carcinomas and basal-cell carcinomas; the middle ear and inner ear can host metastatic deposits, and primary squamous carcinomas and adenocarcinomas. Most auricular malignant diseases occur in adulthood; only the rhabdomyosarcomas of the middle ear arise in children. Most malignant diseases of the auricular apparatus are treated by a combination of surgery (commonly including radical excision of temporal bone), radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.