Case of the Week
Section Editors: Matylda Machnowska1 and Anvita Pauranik2
1University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Sign up to receive an email alert when a new Case of the Week is posted.
June 14, 2010
Neuroendocrine Tumor of the Middle Ear Cavity
- Neuroendocrine tumor of the middle ear cavity, or middle ear adenoma, is a rare benign epithelial tumor deriving from middle ear mucosal cells with both epithelial and neuroendocrine properties.
- Patients can present with a sensation of ear fullness, tinnitus, or unilateral conductive hearing loss of the affected ear.
- Imaging findings are non-specific. CT demonstrates an enhancing soft tissue mass within the tympanic cavity. Ossicular destruction is uncommon. MR demonstrates the mass to be hypo to isointense on T1WI, hyperintense on T2WI, and exhibiting enhancement following contrast administration.
- Differential diagnoses include glomus tumors and schwannomas.
- Formal diagnosis of a neuroendocrine tumor of the middle ear requires histologic and immunohistochemical confirmation as the clinical symptoms and imaging findings are non-specific.
- Surgical excision with removal of the ossicular chain is the treatment of choice.
Current Issue
Case Collections
