Malignancies of the external ear canal and temporal bone: surgical techniques and results

A combined therapy approach to malignancies of the external auditory canal and middle ear has been developed. A technique of external canal resection and gross tumor removal from the middle ear, parotid gland, and superior cervical lymph nodes is followed by postoperative full-therapy irradiation. This combined approach has been used in 30 patients with malignancies involving the external auditory canal and temporal bone. The preoperative evaluation and surgical technique, including the intraoperative decision-making process, is described. Twenty-four patients had squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal, and two patients had basal cell carcinoma. There was one patient each with adenocystic carcinoma, acinic cell carcinoma, high grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and a giant cell tumor of bone. This group of patients was broken down into three groups based on the extent of disease as determined at surgery. Overall control of disease, both locally and distant, for the 30 patients was 66%. There were 12 patients with disease limited to the ear canal. These patients had a 91% survival of this disease process. Seven patients were determined to have limited extension beyond the ear canal. These were treated with combined therapy with an overall control of disease of 72%. Eleven patients had extensive disease outside of middle ear into the carotid jugular spine, stylomastoid foramen, and skull base, with a survival rate of 45%. It is concluded that a step-wise removal of all gross tumor, as opposed to an en bloc dissection of the temporal bone and skull base, followed by full-therapy irradiation gives equally as good, or even better, long-term survival for this malignancy of the external auditory canal and middle ear.