Eustachian tube teratoma and its terminological correctness

Abstract

Teratomas are germ cell tumours usually found in the young and are characteristically composed of tissue foreign to the place where they arise. Two teratomas of the middle ear were first described in 1866 and since then, and to the best of our knowledge, 19 additional cases have been reported in the literature under different terms such as hairy congenital polyps, epidermoid cysts, dermoid cysts, hamartoma, cutaneous teratoma and teratomas. The difficulty in classifying germ cell tumours may explain the different terminologies encountered in the literature. The authors describe a case of teratoma of the eustachian tube presenting as a mass in the middle and external ear of a 10-week-old girl. Using this case, a review of the literature is performed in light of the new classification of germ cell tumours proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is of note that most of the teratomas that present in the middle ear arise from, or involve, the eustachian tube.

Diagnostic and surgical challenge: Middle ear dermoid cyst in 12 month old with branchio-oto-renal syndrome and multiple middle-ear congenital anomalies

“…Middle-ear dermoid cysts have been referred to in the literature as a dermoid, hairy cyst, hairy polyp, and teratoma [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. The vast majority of dermoid cysts originate outside of the head and neck.…”

“…It seems the most common location for dermoid cysts in the head and neck is the nasopharynx, many of which have arisen from the eustachian tube [14]. Approximately 30 cases of temporal bone dermoid cysts are described in the literature, with about half of these originating from the eustachian tube [11,12,15]. Eustachian tube dermoid cysts can present in either the middle ear or the nasopharynx, depending on their site of origin within the eustachian tube.…”

Auricular teratoma: Report of a case and review of rare sites

“…The foot and the vulva are the only reported external sites [5 Á/7]. Teratomas of the ear are usually found on the middle part and eustachian tube [8,9], and we know of no report of one on the outer ear. This is the third region of the external body in the rare group.…”

Primary tumors and tumor-like lesions of the eustachian tube: a systematic review of an emerging entity

“…While there is general agreement about the teratomatous nature of trigerminal lesions, this is not the case of dermoids or ''hairy polyps'' (D/HPs). D/HPs are lesions composed by derivatives of only two germinal tissues [38,[81][82][83][84]. The ectodermal element of D/HPs is confined entirely to their covering of hairy skin, with no ectodermal inclusion cysts within the mesoderm.…”