Neoplasms Involving the Middle Ear

Abstract

In no field of otology is there so much confusion as in the treatment of neoplasms of the middle ear. The general attitude has been that radical mastoidectomy should be performed but that the outlook is hopeless and the patient doomed.The literature is scanty. The older literature refers to malignant growths of the middle ear as medical curiosities. Newhart1 stated that he found reports of only 8 cases in the American literature. Keeler2 in 1922 thoroughly reviewed the literature and compiled 60 instances and added 2 of his own. Since 1922, Barnes,3 Furstenberg,4 Lewis,5 Burton6 and Fraser7 have presented reports of cases. INCIDENCEIn the past twelve years 15 patients with neoplasms involving the middle ear were seen by the otologic staff of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Three of these patients are now living\p=m-\two, four and nine years, respectively, after treatment. In the same period 90,040 patients with pathologic conditions of the ear were seen at this hospital; so in this series the incidence was 1 in 6,000 cases of disease of the ear. This paper is based on personal experience in 6 cases\p=m-\2from the series of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 3 from the Collis P. Huntington Memorial Hospital and 1 from private practice. They were equally divided between the sexes; all the patients were past 45.

Extended Temporal Bone Resection for Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…The method of spread is usually by direct invasion and extension, with lymph node metastasis being relatively uncommon 6 . The close proximity of many vital structures to the temporal bone and the propensity of the tumor to spread through the tegmen tympani to involve middle fossa dura and to invade the temporal lobe of the brain are important pathologic features that have a profound effect on management and prognosis 7 …”

Primary intra-tympanic meningioma

“…Reviewing the literature it is confirmed that tumours of the middle ear are rare. Schall(1935) reported an incidence of middle-ear neoplasms of 1/6,000, none of which was a meningioma. Cushing and Eisenhardt (1958) reported 313 cases of verified meningiomata, none of which involved the middle-ear.…”

Ceruminous gland tumour (A case report)

“…These are slowly growing tumours and opinion varies about their biological behaviour. Local recurrences are uncommon after complete removal (Mawson, 1967;Schall, 1935). Fraser (1930) Neil and Parker (1957) were of the opinion that the adenoid cystic type is more invasive, with a lower prognosis, and they recommended radical surgical treatment.…”