Abstract: Malignant melanoma is a rare malignancy of the external auditory canal. The vast majority of them occur in the areas of the body that are exposed to the sun. Early histological examination may possibly favor better prognosis. We report a case of a 38-year-old female who presented with a small mass in right ear canal, earache and minimum discharge since 4 months. Initially scraping was done in the ENT clinic. Subsequently she had a wide excision done by the end aural approach at a different hospital. A year later the patient presented with a swelling involving the ear canal which extended to the helix and supratemporal region with the histology report as malignant melanoma. A literature review of the disease, radiological findings, immunohistochemical features and treatment options are discussed.
Melanoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare tumour in the middle ear and mastoid cavity in children and the diagnosis is difficult. Repeated histological examination may be essential to confirm the diagnosis. We report a 6 year old boy with a left aural polyp, otorrhoea and facial nerve palsy who was initially thought to have otitis media and mastoiditis. He had polypectomy and the tissue taken for histopathology suggested an inflammatory condition. Subsequently he had mastoidectomy. Tissue taken during mastoidectomy was however reported as rhabdomyosarcoma. The child developed a cerebral abscess and eventually succumbed. A literature review of the disease, radiological findings, immunohistochemical features and treatment options is described.
Rhabdomyosarcoma