Abstract
The ear canal, middle ear and temporal bone are rare sites of primary cancer. However, given its central location within the skull base, the tumors from these sites often extend to involve the parotid, overlying skin and even the dura or carotid artery. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common histology for both primary and secondary tumors. The rarity of temporal bone cancers and the complexity of the region’s anatomy make treating temporal bone malignancies difficult. While early-stage cancers can be effectively treated by complete resection, multimodal therapy is imperative for most of these tumors. A contemporary review of the literature is presented with present-day controversies outlined.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.
Notes
EAC: External auditory canal; TMJ: Temporomandibular joint.
Modified from Citation[9].