Malignancies of the external auditory canal and temporal bone: a review.
BACKGROUND
Malignancies of the external auditory canal and temporal bone are uncommon. A retrospective review was conducted of a large series treated at the Prince of Wales hospital between 1974 and 1995.


METHODS
Retrospective review of 59 cases of ear canal and temporal bone malignancies. These were analysed according to histopathology, disease extent, surgery, margin status and survival. A TNM-type staging system was applied to 51 cases and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis applied to this group.


RESULTS
The 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) for the series was 54%. For stages 1, 2, 3 and 4 disease, the CSS were 90, 45, 40 and 19%, respectively. Survival was significantly higher where clear surgical margins were achieved (80 vs 35%).


CONCLUSIONS
Carcinoma of the external ear canal is rare and, in Australia, is often related to recurrence of periauricular cutaneous malignancy. Surgical extirpation with clear margins provides the best survival.
Yeung
P
P
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
Bridger
A
A
Smee
R
R
Baldwin
M
M
Bridger
G P
GP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012888:Skull Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*