Abstract
Middle ear adenomas are rare benign tumors, which can easily be mistaken for other conditions radiologically. They derive from the middle ear mucosa. We report the case of a 48-year-old man with a history of decreased left-sided hearing and intermittent pulsatile tinnitus. High-resolution CT of the temporal bones revealed a well-defined left middle ear soft-tissue attenuation abutting the head of the malleus. Surgical excision revealed a middle ear adenoma.
Highlights
CASE REPORTSUMMARY: Middle ear adenomas are rare benign tumors, which can be mistaken for other conditions radiologically
We report the case of a 48-year-old man with a history of left ear progressive symptoms, whose initial radiologic diagnosis favored glomus tympanicum versus cholesteatoma
Middle ear adenomas are rare benign epithelial tumors deriving from middle ear mucosal cells with both epithelial and neuroendocrine properties
Summary
SUMMARY: Middle ear adenomas are rare benign tumors, which can be mistaken for other conditions radiologically. Case Report A 48-year-old man presented with a history of left ear progressive symptoms for 18 months (decreased hearing, intermittent pulsatile tinnitus, and a sensation of water in the ear canal, which did not clear with the nasal Valsalva maneuver) His otoscopic examination revealed a white smooth teardrop-shaped mass deep to the tympanic membrane, but the tympanic membrane and the external auditory canal were unremarkable. Insufflating the external auditory canal with air, we found that the mass appeared to blanch and return to its fleshy color once the pressure was stopped Due to this finding and the absence of tympanic membrane perforation or chronic ear infection, the patient was referred for a temporal bone CT and octreotide scanning of the head and neck for a probable diagnosis of glomus tympanicum. Clinical and radiologic follow-up was recommended because recurrence was possible
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