Angiosarcoma of the external ear: a case report

A case of an angiosarcoma of the pinna in an 82-year-old male is reported. Variability of presentation and lack of clinical awareness may result in a delay in the diagnosis of this rare tumor. Initial confusion may arise because of the deceptively benign clinical appearance of the lesion, which may resemble a bruise or superficial infection. Early biopsy is mandatory in view of the prognostic significance of tumor diameter at the time of diagnosis. Untreated, the mean survival of patients with angiosarcoma is 7 months. This increases to 15 to 20 months in treated patients, 12 percent being alive at 5 years. A combination of surgery and radiotherapy offers the best chance of cure. The need for wide local treatment of apparently normal tissue has been advocated because of imperceptible local spread of the tumor. Apparent cure may be followed by late local recurrence or distant metastasis, so lifelong follow-up is necessary.