Abstract
Purpose: To report an unusual case of an intracranial extension of Merkel cell carcinoma originating in the external ear canal and causing neurological deficits. Case Report: An 86-year-old woman, with a 16-month history of an external auditory canal mass, presented with hemiparesis, facial paralysis, and obtundation. Radiographic images showed an intracranial mass extending into the petrous bone. Method: The patient had a craniotomy for intracranial tumor resection with concurrent mastoidectomy for facial nerve decompression and obtundation and hemiparesis were resolved. Residual tumor was subsequently treated with adjuvant radiation therapy, and facial nerve function consequently improved. Conclusion: Merkel cell tumors rarely invade the intracranial compartments. Residual tumor and neurological deficits may respond to adjuvant radiation therapy.
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