Middle ear adenoma with neuroendocrine differentiation: relate of two cases and literature review

Abstract

Summary Introduction: Adenomas with neuroendocrine differentiation are defined as neuroendocrine neoplasms, and they are rarely found in the head and neck. Objective: To describe two cases of a middle ear adenoma with neuroendocrine differentiation, with a literature review. Case Report: Patient 1 was a 41-year-old woman who presented with a 3-year history of left aural fullness associated with ipsilateral “hammer beating” tinnitus. Patient 2 was a 41-year-old male who presented with unilateral conductive hearing loss. Conclusion: Adenoma with neuroendocrine differentiation of the middle ear is a rare entity, but it should be considered in patients with tinnitus, aural fullness, and a retrotympanic mass and remembered as a diferential diagnosis of tympanic paraganglioma.

111In-Octreoscan SPECT/CT hybrid imaging and 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT in neuroendocrine adenoma of the middle ear (NAME)

“…[ 2 ] The radiological features were very similar to tympanic paraganglioma, which is the most frequent tumoural lesion of the middle ear. [ 1 ]…”

“…It represents less than 2% of all ear tumours, even if the incidence of this tumour is difficult to establish since it may be confused with other entities, such as adenomatous tumours and paragangliomas. [ 1 ]…”