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Published on: May 26, 2023
Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor involving ear lobule
Kyu Hwan Jung1, Yong-Wan Kim, Yoon Kyoung So
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, 1435 Jwa dong, Haeudae-gu, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Insights
This case report details a rare inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) in a patient's ear lobule. Surgical removal was successful, with no recurrence observed, highlighting effective management of this auricular tumor.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Pathology
- Surgical Oncology
Background:
- Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are rare neoplasms with unpredictable behavior.
- IMTs typically occur in the abdomen or pelvis, but can arise in any location.
- External ear involvement by IMT is exceptionally uncommon.
Observation:
- A 50-year-old woman presented with a slow-growing, asymptomatic, wart-like mass on her ear lobule.
- The mass was incidentally discovered a year prior to a minor ear lobule trauma.
- Histopathology revealed a spindle cell proliferation with lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, consistent with IMT.
Findings:
- The patient underwent surgical excision and primary closure of the ear lobule mass.
- Post-operative histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor.
- No evidence of tumor recurrence was noted at the 6-month follow-up.
Implications:
- This is the first reported case of an IMT originating in the external ear.
- Auricular IMTs may present with a non-aggressive clinical course.
- Complete surgical excision appears to be an effective treatment modality for auricular IMT.
Abstract:
We present herein an extremely rare case of an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) of the ear lobule with its management. A 50-year-old woman presented with a wart-like mass between the ear lobule and the facial skin. She had been accidentally lacerated her left ear lobule and visited our clinic. The mass had been incidentally found by the patient 1 year before the trauma and growing slowly without pain. Surgical excision and primary closure was performed. Histopathologic examination demonstrated ill-defined margined nodular proliferation of spindle cells in deep dermis with focal stromal hyalinization and lymphoplasmacytic infiltration compatible with the IMT. The patient showed no evidence of recurrence 6 months after surgery. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an IMT occurred in the external ear. Auricular IMT of our case was not aggressive in clinical nature and treated optimally with surgical excision.
