Temporal bone pathology of leukemia and malignant lymphoma with middle ear effusion

This report describes the histopathological findings of the middle ear in patients with leukemia and malignant lymphoma whose middle ear effusion (MEE) was observed from temporal bone specimens. There were 19 patients (35 ears) with leukemia and 8 patients (16 ears) with malignant lymphoma. MEE was observed in 8 of 35 ears with leukemia, and 5 of 16 ears with malignant lymphoma. In 8 ears with leukemia with MEE, pathological changes included effusion containing floating tumor cells in 4 and tumor infiltration around the Eustachian tube in 3. In 1 of 5 ears with malignant lymphoma with MEE, MEE was accompanied by tumor infiltration. Infection was present in 13 ears of patients with leukemia and malignant lymphoma. It is suggested that there are various causes, including infection, obstruction of the Eustachian tube with tumor infiltration and a tendency to bleed, of MEE in leukemia and malignant lymphoma.