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Endoscopic Cholesteatoma Surgery
Published on: January 19, 2022
Tumours of the external ear and temporal bone
Kenneth O Devaney1, Cynthia R Boschman, Sarah C Willard
1Department of Pathology, Foote Hospital, Jackson, MI 49201, USA. kenneth.devaney@wafoote.org
The Lancet. Oncology
|June 1, 2005
Summary
Hearing impairment and balance issues are often non-cancerous. However, tumors in the ear canal, middle, or inner ear can cause these symptoms, requiring treatments like surgery and chemotherapy.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Common ear symptoms like hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance disturbance are typically due to non-neoplastic conditions such as otitis media, otosclerosis, or trauma.
- Less frequently, these auricular signs and symptoms arise from neoplastic space-occupying lesions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the types and origins of neoplastic diseases affecting the auricular apparatus.
- To outline the common treatment modalities for malignant auricular diseases.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of neoplastic diseases affecting the external, middle, and inner ear.
- Analysis of the incidence and age distribution of various auricular malignancies.
- Summary of standard treatment protocols for auricular cancers.
Main Results:
- The external ear can develop squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas.
- The middle and inner ear may harbor metastatic deposits, primary squamous cell carcinomas, and adenocarcinomas.
- Most auricular malignant diseases affect adults, with rhabdomyosarcomas of the middle ear being an exception occurring in children.
Conclusions:
- Malignant diseases of the auricular apparatus, though less common than non-neoplastic causes, necessitate comprehensive treatment strategies.
- Treatment typically involves a multimodal approach combining surgery (often including radical temporal bone excision), radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.
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