Transient facial palsy in two cases of benign, very rare middle ear tumors (carcinoid tumor and myxoma).
OBJECTIVE
Presentation of the clinical features of 2 very rare middle ear tumors in which the guiding symptom was facial palsy.


METHODS
Illustrative case reports about a myxoma and a carcinoid tumor of the middle ear associated with peripheral facial palsy.


RESULTS
The facial palsy was transient in either case, and its pathomechanism is open for discussion. In both cases, the initial symptoms were typical for an inflammatory process. Moreover, both tumor entities are typically found in organs other than the ear; if located in the middle ear, those neoplasms grow rather superficially. In those cases, a surgical exposure of the middle ear is indicated.


CONCLUSIONS
The etiopathology of an acute peripheral facial palsy is often hard to identify. If the facial weakness starts together with symptoms suggesting an inflammatory process, the differential diagnosis may be focused first on diseases like herpes zoster oticus and a severe course of acute purulent otitis media. We report the cases of 2 rare middle ear tumors causing facial palsy. Treatment of choice should be complete surgical excision.
Zehlicke
Thorsten
T
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Otto Koerner, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany. thorsten.zehlicke@med.uni-rostock.de
Punke
Christoph
C
Boltze
Christoph
C
Pau
Hans Wilhelm
HW
D000368:Aged; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D016697:Herpes Zoster Oticus / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008416:Mastoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009232:Myxoma / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000175:diagnosis; D010579:Petrous Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014717:Vertigo / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology