Serous Otitis Media Secondary to a Middle Ear Neuroendocrine Tumor of Five-Year Duration

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are extremely rare in the middle ear. Histopathological findings are essential to establish the definitive diagnosis of these tumors. We present the case of a 43-year-old man with a clinical diagnosis of left otitis media with effusion for five years without improvement, with a history of myringotomy with a ventilation tube. He later underwent surgery for a simple mastoidectomy with biopsy. The final diagnosis, based on histopathology and immunohistochemical studies, was a NET of the middle ear. The morphological findings of this type of tumor should be considered based on the differential diagnosis of neoplasias that develop in the middle ear; however, in many cases, the NET in this location may be underdiagnosed. The recommended treatment is surgical resection and long-term follow-up. The main objective of this article is to describe the presentation of NETs in the middle ear, although rare, to help detect more cases through education and personal experience.