Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012:2012:841372.
doi: 10.1155/2012/841372. Epub 2012 Dec 1.

Surgical procedures for external auditory canal carcinoma and the preservation of postoperative hearing

Hiroshi Hoshikawa  1 , Takenori Miyashita, Nozomu Mori
Affiliations

Surgical procedures for external auditory canal carcinoma and the preservation of postoperative hearing

Hiroshi Hoshikawa et al. Case Rep Surg. 2012.

Abstract

Carcinoma of the external auditory canal (EAC) is an unusual head and neck malignancy. The pathophysiology of these tumors is different from other skin lesions because of their anatomical and functional characteristics. Early-stage carcinoma of the EAC can be generally cured by surgical treatment, and reconstruction of the EAC with a tympanoplasty can help to retain hearing, thus improving the patients' quality of life. In this study, we present two cases of early-stage carcinoma of the EAC treated by canal reconstruction using skin grafts after lateral temporal bone resection. A rolled-up skin graft with a temporal muscle flap was useful for keeping the form and maintaining the postoperative hearing. An adequate size of the skin graft and blood supply to the graft bed are important for achieving a successful operation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Six months after surgery in Case 1. (a) An axial CT image showed that the EAC had formed an open cavity with the mastoid bowl. (b) Although no stenosis or bone exposure was observed, a wet mucosal membrane and the crust were shown in the opened mastoid cavity.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The first examination of the left ear in Case 2. Otorrhea and squamous debris with irregularity and granulation of the posterior ear canal down to the tympanic membrane was seen.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) Removal of the EAC with tumor. (b) The skin graft was rolled up and sutured with the inlet of the EAC and placed on the fascia as a substitute material for the tympanic membrane.
Figure 4
Figure 4
One-year postoperative findings in Case 2. (a) An axial CT image showed that the reconstructed EAC was kept in good shape, and no lateralization of the tympanic membrane was observed. (b and c) No stenosis or infection of the reconstructed external auditory canal was observed.
Figure 5
Figure 5
(a) Preoperative and (b) postoperative pure-tone audiogram. No hearing disturbance was observed after the surgery.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Yin M, Ishikawa K, Honda K, et al. Analysis of 95 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the external and middle ear. Auris Nasus Larynx. 2006;33(3):251–257. - PubMed
    1. Moody SA, Hirsch BE, Myers EN. Squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal: an evaluation of a staging system. American Journal of Otology. 2000;21(4):582–588. - PubMed
    1. Nakagawa T, Kumamoto Y, Natori Y, et al. Squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal and middle ear: an operation combined with preoperative chemoradiotherapy and a free surgical margin. Otology and Neurotology. 2006;27(2):242–248. - PubMed
    1. Turan A, Turkaslan T, Kul Z, Isler C, Ozsoy Z. Reconstruction of the anterior surface of the ear using a postauricular pull-through neurovascular island flap. Annals of Plastic Surgery. 2006;56(6):609–613. - PubMed
    1. Arriaga M, Curtin H, Hirsch BE, Takahashi H, Kamerer DB. Staging proposal for external auditory meatus carcinoma based on preoperative clinical examination and computed tomography findings. Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology. 1990;99(9):714–721. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources