OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to evaluate the clinical characteristics of temporal bone metastasis (TBM) and to determine whether the characteristics differed according to primary malignancy. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data on 20 patients diagnosed with TBM between January 2000 and January 2017. Demographics, the period from diagnosis of primary malignancy to TBM diagnosis, the period from TBM diagnosis to death, the type and staging of primary malignancy, otologic manifestations, and TBM sites were assessed. After the primary malignancies were divided into solid cancers and hematologic malignancies, each parameter was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The most common primary malignancy with TBM was lung cancer (45%). The most common otologic symptoms and signs were facial palsy (30.5%) and hearing loss (30.5%). The temporal squama (23%) and the facial nerve (20%) were the most commonly involved. Most TBMs occurred late in the disease process after the primary malignancy first metastasized to other organs. Hematologic malignancies metastasized significantly more frequently to the external auditory canal and the middle ear/mastoid compared to solid cancers (P=0.001 and P=0.004, respectively). CONCLUSION: If otologic manifestations such as facial palsy and hearing loss are presented in patients at advanced stages of malignancy, TBM of primary malignancy should be suspected. In addition, hematologic malignancies tend to metastasize to the external auditory canal and the middle ear cleft more commonly than solid cancers do.
Demography ; Diagnosis ; Ear Canal ; Ear, Middle ; Facial Nerve ; Facial Paralysis ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Hearing Loss ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Lung Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Temporal Bone

Tumoral calcinosis is a condition characterized by deposition of calcium salts in the skin and sub- cutaneous tissue, commonly found around the joints. However, tumoral calcinosis of the auricle is extremely rare. We present the case of a 13-year-old boy with tumoral calcinosis of the helix of the ear auricle. A 13-year-old boy presented with a 10-year history of an enlarging mass on the left auricle. The mass was hard, non-tender, and non-compressible. The patient had no history of trauma. Complete surgical excision and pathological examination of the specimen was performed. The final diagnosis of the excised mass was tumoral calcinosis. After 9 months of follow-up, there were no signs of recurrence of the tumor and the patient was satisfied with the surgical results. Tumoral calcinosis of the auricle is extremely rare and may be misdiagnosed as other tumors. Pathological examination is essential for definitive diagnosis and complete surgical excision should be considered as the treatment of choice.
Adolescent ; Calcinosis* ; Calcium ; Diagnosis ; Ear Auricle* ; Ear Neoplasms ; Ear* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joints ; Male ; Recurrence ; Salts ; Skin

OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively evaluate the patients who underwent nasopharyngeal biopsy with imaging and biopsy results, who have or don’t have symptoms for nasopharyngeal pathology and to determine the ratio of the nasopharyngeal cancer cases and other pathologic conditions. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 983 patients who underwent endoscopic nasopharyngeal biopsy for symptomatic nasopharyngeal lesions were included. All pathological results, benign or malign was recorded and classified due to the patients’ presenting symptoms such as symptomatic for nasopharyngeal pathology or asymptomatic. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reports were also recorded separately as group A for malignancy or group B for not malignancy. RESULTS: Forty-five (4.6%) of 983 biopsies were malignant. In this group, there is no statistically significant difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic group. For malignant pathologies, the sensitivity of MRI was found 88.2% and CT was 61.5%. CONCLUSION: For early diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer, all patients admitted to Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) referral clinics should be examined endoscopically irrespective of their complaints and suspicious cases should be investigated by imaging especially by MRI. If MRI report clearly indicates Thornwaldt cyst or reactive lymphoid hyperplasia and this result is compatible with endoscopic findings, biopsy may not be necessary. Apart from these cases, all suspected lesions should be biopsied.
Adult* ; Biopsy* ; Ear ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Multidetector Computed Tomography ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; Nasopharynx* ; Nose ; Pathology ; Pharynx ; Pseudolymphoma ; Referral and Consultation ; Retrospective Studies

Ear Canal ; pathology ; Ear Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Myxoma ; diagnosis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; diagnosis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical and pathologic features of middle ear adenoma (MEA).

METHODSEight cases of MEA were collected from Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University between 2004 and 2014, and immunohistochemical staining was performed.

RESULTSThe patients included five women and three men (mean age, 37.5 years; median 37 years; range, 21-51 years). All patients had unilateral lesions. Five MEA occurred on the left side, and three on the right. In seven patients the MEA was primary, and they presented with hearing loss (6 cases), tinnitus (5 cases), sense of ear blockage (3 cases), otalgia (1 case) and facial nerve paralysis (1 case). The remaining patient had recurrent MEA, and presented with otorrhea, aural fullness and tinnitus. Histologically, the tumor cells were arranged in a variety of patterns, including solid sheets, nests, glands, ribbons or trabeculae. Glandular structures were prominent in one case only. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were diffusely positive for keratin (8/8) and vimentin (8/8), and focally positive for CK 7(8/8) and CK5/6(8/8). CK7 and CK5/6 were predominantly positive in tumor cells with glandular growth pattern; CK7 was positive in the luminal cells while CK5/6 was positive in the abluminal cells. Both were also expressed focally in scattered tumor cells with non-glandular pattern. The tumor cells were also diffusely positive for synaptophysin(8/8), diffusely but weakly positive for NSE (5/8), and were diffusely or focally positive for chromogranin A (4/8). Both S-100 protein and calponin were negative in all cases. The proliferation rate was low, about 1%-2%. Six cases were followed up for one year and three months to ten years and six months, with an average follow-up period of four years and two months. Two patients developed recurrence, but there were no regional or distant metastases.

CONCLUSIONSDiagnosis of MEA requires pathologic confirmation since the clinical symptoms are non-specific. MEA can show a variety of histologic patterns, and should be distinguished from other space-occupying lesions at this site. Immunohistochemical staining has greatly contributed to the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of MEA. The prognosis of this tumor is good. Patients with MEA require long-term follow-up for recurrences.

Adenoma ; pathology ; Adult ; Beijing ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Ear Neoplasms ; pathology ; Ear, Middle ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Young Adult

Ear Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Endolymphatic Sac ; pathology ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of the rare cases of malignant tumors in external auditory canal. METHOD: Eight cases of rare malignant tumors in external auditory canal were collected except squamous cell carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma. The clinical manifestation, staging, surgical method, secondary treatment and prognosis were analysed. RESULT: There were 5 cases of basal cell carcinoma and 2 cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma and 1 case of myoepithelial carcinoma. Three cases of the 5 basal cell carcinoma in external auditory canal have been misdiagnosed for a long time. After admission, 4 of the 5 basal cell carcinoma were T1 stage and cured only by a complete resection of tumor. One case of T2 stage basal cell carcinoma was found recurrence 2 years later after the first excision of tumor, and was treated with radiotherapy. Tumor was controlled. Two cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma had been misdiagnosed as a benign tumor and received a resection. One case was found metastasis to the parapharyngeal space and nasopharynx and was treated with concurrent chemotherapy. Tumor was also controlled after 5-years follow-up. Another case was found metastasis to parotid gland and received an expanding tumor resection. No recurrence was detected after a 1-year followed up. One case of T4 stage myoepithelial carcinoma in external auditory canal was a metastasis of parotid and received a partial temporal bone resection. No-recurrence was found 1 year later. CONCLUSION Because the tumors above have a very low incidence in external ear canal and the location of tumors are hidden, they are often misdiagnosed and delayed in treatment. Therefore, otologists should pay more attention to avoid the misdiagnosis. To the treatment, complete surgical resection of early-stage tumor is important and for late-stage tumor, a supplemented by chemoradiotherapy may be needed.
Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Ear Canal ; pathology ; Ear Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Humans ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Parotid Gland ; pathology ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Temporal Bone ; surgery

A male patient, 67 years old, was admitted with the left auricle neoplasm over two months, increased rapidly for 10 days, on November 5, 2013. The tumer is about 2. 0 cm ×× 2. 0 cm size, smooth surface, no burst, hard, painless, and immobilization. After admission biopsy, the pathological report: "spindle cell sarcoma", thin a total resection of the left auricle under local anesthesia was made, postoperative pathological report: tumor by short of spindle cells, arranged in bunchiness, a small number of seats is arrangeA striate;The nuclei are hyperchromatic and part of the visible nucleoli and empty bright cytoplasm, pathological nuclear fission was visible. "Scar" on the matrix of collagen, hardening, and change the glass samples. The tumor destruction of cartilage. immunohistochemical stainin : Vimentin (+), CD99 (-), Bcl-2 (-), CD34 (-), SMA (-), Des (-), HMB45 (-), MelanA(-), S-100(-), CK(-). Diagnosis as fibrosarcoma. The patient refused any radiation or chemotherapy. Postoperative follow-up of 8 months, no local recurrence and distant metastasis.
Aged ; Ear Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Fibrosarcoma ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local

Ear Canal ; Ear Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Myoepithelioma ; diagnosis

OBJECTIVE: To explore the ways of quantitative and objective evaluation for analyzing the multiple influence factors on middle ear function in the patients with primarily diagnosed NPC, and to analyze the influence factors of middle ear function in the patients with primarily diagnosed nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHOD: Three hundred and twenty cases (320 ears) of primarily diagnosed NPC patients were examinated with electric otoscope, acoustic immittance measurement, pure tone audiometry, nasopharynx and middle ear CT or MRI scanning, eustachian tube function examination, and electronic nasopharyngoscope. A series of quantitative methods, as the influence factors including T stage, clinical stage, location, diffusion type and form of tumor, eustachian tube function, pharynx mouth shape, imaging extension (nasal, skull base, pharyngeal recess, parapharyngeal space, tensor veli palatini muscle, levator veli palatini and so on), were used to evaluate the middle ear function. SPSS 13.0 was used to anlyze the single and multiple factors in statistics. RESULT: T stage, clinical stage, location, diffusion type, and form of tumor, pharynx mouth shape, imaging extension (nasal, skull base, pharyngeal recess, parapharyngeal space, tensor veli palatini muscle, levator veli palatini) were the single influence factors on the function of middle ear in primarily diagnosed NPC patients. The gender, age, pathological types, N staging and M staging of NPC patients primarily diagnosed had no effect on middle ear function. The multple factors analysis showed that T stage, tumor location, the function of eustachian tube, tensor veli palatini muscle invasion, and skull base invasion were independent factor of affecting the middle ear function on primarily diagnosed NPC patients. CONCLUSION In this study, the influence factors of middle ear function with primarily diagnosed NPC were related to T stage, location of tumor, the function of eustachian tube, tensor veli palatini muscle invasion, skull base invasion, otitis media and quantitative criteria. The way of quantitative analysis could be used to evaluate objectively the middle ear function in patients with primarily diagnosed NPC.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma ; Ear, Middle ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Young Adult