Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma of the external auditory canal

Abstract

This report describes a rare case of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presenting a huge mass in the left external auditory canal (EAC). The patient was a 55-year-old man with hepatitis B virus-related HCC. He presented to our department with a three-month history of increasing left otalgia, and hearing loss with recent fresh aural bleeding. Histopathologic examination indicated that the tumor was secondary to HCC. Although external irradiation was not effective, the tumor was treated with surgical debulking and high dose rate 192 Ir remote afterloading system (RALS) for postoperative intracavitary irradiation. A review of the literature revealed only five other cases of HCC metastasis to the temporal bone, all of which mainly metastasized in the internal acoustic meatus. The present case is the first report of HCC metastasis to the EAC.