External Auditory Canal Mass as the First Manifestation of a Bronchogenic Carcinoma: Report of a Rare Case

Abstract

Objectives:

Metastatic tumors in the external auditory canal (EAC) are exceptionally rare. These metastases almost always occur in the latter stages of the disease process. Ten cases of metastatic tumors of the EAC have been reported in the literature. We report the first case of a metastatic bronchogenic adenocarcinoma that presented initially as an EAC mass.

Methods:

We present a case report and a literature review.

Results:

Although bronchogenic adenocarcinoma not uncommonly metastasizes to the temporal bone, metastasis to the EAC is extremely rare. We report the case of a 62-year-old woman who presented with a 6-week history of swelling in her right EAC and sudden onset of hearing loss. Physical examination revealed a small, polypoid, friable mass originating from the superior-posterior wall of the right EAC. Incision biopsy was performed, and the histopathologic examination of specimens revealed a moderately to poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma compatible with a bronchogenic origin.

Conclusions:

A patient with an aural mass presents a diagnostic dilemma. Metastatic tumors in the EAC are extremely rare, but they should be included in the differential diagnosis of a mass in this location.