Heterotopic brain in the middle ear: CT findings
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Updated: Oct 24, 2026

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Discovering Middle Ear Anatomy by Transcanal Endoscopic Ear Surgery: A Dissection Manual
Published on: January 11, 2018
M V Klein1, B W Schwaighofer, D F Sobel
1Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego.
Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography
|November 1, 1989
Abstract:
A soft tissue mass was found by CT in the mesotympanum of the left middle ear of a 4-year-old boy. This lesion was without radiologic or surgical evidence of associated bony defect or communication with the intracranial cavity. Pathological examination revealed heterotopic brain tissue. Although heterotopic brain tissue in the middle ear is rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of soft tissue middle ear masses.
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