title: Tumours of the external ear and temporal bone.
abstract: Symptoms such as hearing impairment, tinnitus, or a disturbance in sense of balance can generally be attributed to non-neoplastic causes, such as otitis media, otosclerosis, or trauma. Less commonly, auricular signs and symptoms are the result of non-neoplastic and neoplastic space-occupying lesions. The external ear can be the site of development of squamous carcinomas and basal-cell carcinomas; the middle ear and inner ear can host metastatic deposits, and primary squamous carcinomas and adenocarcinomas. Most auricular malignant diseases occur in adulthood; only the rhabdomyosarcomas of the middle ear arise in children. Most malignant diseases of the auricular apparatus are treated by a combination of surgery (commonly including radical excision of temporal bone), radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Foote Hospital, Jackson, MI 49201, USA. kenneth.devaney@wafoote.org
authors.forename: Kenneth O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Devaney
authors.forename: Cynthia R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Boschman
authors.forename: Sarah C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Willard
authors.forename: Alfio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferlito
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rinaldo
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D004431:Ear, External / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D012888:Skull Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D013701:Temporal Bone