Extramedullary hematopoiesis within the hypotympanicum presenting as a glomus tympanicum.
We discuss the case of a 22-year-old black woman who presented with a mass in the left hypotympanicum. Both the pre- and postoperative diagnosis of the lesion was a glomus tympanicum. Histopathologic examination revealed the "tumor" to be a nodule of extramedullary hematopoiesis. Many sickled erythrocytes were also noted within the lesion. A multilingual literature search (English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Russian) failed to reveal a documented case of extramedullary hematopoiesis in the hypotympanicum. We assume that the patient's hemoglobinopathy was the cause of her unusual focus of extramedullary hematopoiesis.
D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004432:Ear, Middle; D005260:Female; D005925:Glomus Jugulare Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006801:Humans