Managing malignancies of the external auditory canal

The ear canal, middle ear and temporal bone are rare sites of primary cancer. However, given its central location within the skull base, the tumors from these sites often extend to involve the parotid, overlying skin and even the dura or carotid artery. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common histology for both primary and secondary tumors. The rarity of temporal bone cancers and the complexity of the region's anatomy make treating temporal bone malignancies difficult. While early-stage cancers can be effectively treated by complete resection, multimodal therapy is imperative for most of these tumors. A contemporary review of the literature is presented with present-day controversies outlined.