Temporal Bone Carcinoma

Temporal bone carcinoma

To analyse prognostic factors and survival outcomes of malignant tumors of the external auditory canal, to investigate the role of regional surgery, and adjuvant radiotherapy in early stages and to investigate the role of surgery in operable T4 stage.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on all patients prospectively included in the national database of the French Expertize Network for Rare ENT Cancers (REFCOR) from January 2000 to December 2016.

103 patients from 19 reference centers were included. A propensity score matching analysis was applied to enable comparisons between treatments.

Event-free survival, overall survival and factors of poor prognosis of the cohort were described. The interest of local and regional surgery and postoperative radiotherapy were evaluated.

The factors of poor prognosis on event-free survival were immunosuppression (p = 0.002), Karnofsky status less than 90% (p = 0.02), body mass index less than 19 Kg / m2 (p = 0.0009), peripheric facial palsy (p = 0.0016), and positive margin (p = 0.0006). In early stages, locoregional surgery was associated with an increase in event-free survival (p = 0.003, HR = 0.21) versus local surgery alone, while postoperative radiotherapy was not associated with an increase in event-free survival (p = 0.86, HR = 0.91) or overall (p = 0.86, HR = 0.91). In locally advanced stages, locoregional surgery followed by radiotherapy was associated with an increase in event-free survival (p = 0.03, HR = 0.39) and overall (p = 0.02, HR = 0.34) versus chemoradiotherapy alone.

Regional surgery is recommended for early stages of cancers of the external auditory canal. In operable cases, locoregional surgery followed by radiotherapy is recommended.

We aim to clarify the frequency of lymph node metastasis of external auditory canal (EAC) carcinoma, including susceptible locations, adequate extent of elective neck dissection, and the relationship between the tumor infiltration site and lymph node metastasis.

From 2003 to 2018, 63 patients with EAC carcinoma at Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital were enrolled in this study. The T and N stages, locations of clinically positive lymph nodes, prognoses, and anatomic site of tumor infiltration were analyzed after treatment.

Clinically positive lymph node metastasis (cN+) was detected in 18 patients (28.6%), consisting of T1, T2, T3, and T4 disease in 1 (6%), 2 (22%), 8 (38%), and 7 (41%) patients, respectively. The metastatic locations were at level II in 10 patients, parotid gland nodes in 7, preauricular nodes in 5, level Ib in 3, level Va in 3, level III in 1, and superficial cervical nodes in 1. Neck recurrence was determined in two of 45 patients with clinically negative lymph nodes (cN0), with the metastatic locations being levels II, Ib, and III. Among 18 cN+ cases, neck recurrence was noted in 2 of 9 patients who underwent neck dissection. Neck lesions were found to be manageable in all five patients who underwent docetaxel, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and radiation therapy (TPF-RT). No relationship was noted between the tumor infiltration site and lymph node metastasis among T3/4 canrcinoma patients.

Elective neck dissection could be indicated only in T3/4 patients with free flap reconstruction. Levels Ib to III are considered appropriate for elective neck dissection in cN0 cases. Levels Ib to III and Va indicated favorable sites, even in cases with metastasis in the parotid gland or preauricular area. Furthermore, TPF-RT could be a useful option even in cN+ cases.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the temporal bone is a rare malignancy. Clear cell SCC is a rare variant of SCC of temporal bone in which no clear risk factor has been suggested as possible etiology. Otalgia, otorrhea, and hearing loss are the usual presenting symptoms of SCC of the temporal bone.

This is a case is of a 62-year-old female who presented with a 6 months’ history of experiencing intermittent left hearing disturbance, loss of balance, persistent left tinnitus, left otalgia radiating to the lateral neck and post auricular swelling. Histology showed clear cell variant, well differentiated SCC. The patient’s tumor was found to be non-resectable due to the extensive invasion. The patient was referred for palliative therapy by medical and radiation oncology, however, the patient couldn't tolerate it. One month later she passed away.

SCC of the temporal bone is a challenging clinical entity. It is diagnosed mainly by clinical and radiological assessment, and deep biopsies are used to confirm the diagnosis. Temporal bone SCC is usually diagnosed late due to delayed presentation. This case of temporal bone SCC was aggressive in nature and presentation. The presentation was different from the known triad of symptoms of temporal bone SCC which is offensive otorrhea, pain, and bleeding.

This case showed a very destructive and bizarre clinical presentation but more report of cases is needed to have a better characterization of the clinical presentation and prognosis of this variant of SCC of temporal bone.

Prognostic factors, rational management, and the ongoing investigations regarding temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma (TBSCC) have been critically reviewed.

TBSCC is an uncommon, aggressive malignancy. Although some progress has been made in treating this aggressive tumor, the prognosis in advanced cases remains poor.

A systematic search of the literature for articles published between 2009 and October 2014 was performed using the PubMed (http://www.pubmed.gov) electronic database.

Given the particular anatomical site of TBSCC, its prognosis is significantly influenced by any direct involvement of nearby structures. The extent of the primary tumor is generally considered one of the most important prognostic factors and it is frequently related to prognosis even more strongly than N stage. For TBSCC, biomarker investigations in surgical specimens are only just beginning to appear in the oncological literature.

Given the particular features of TBSCC, the sub-specialty of otologic oncology seems to be emerging as a defined area of practice involving multidisciplinary team comprising oto-neurosurgeons, head and neck surgeons, plastic surgeons, oncologists, radiotherapists, dedicated radiologists, and pathologists.

Malignant tumors of the temporal bone are rare, with an estimated incidence of about 0.8–1.0 per 1,000,000 inhabitants per year. The vast majority of these tumors are squamous cell carcinomas and their treatment is eminently surgical.

This study is an attempt at systematizing the forms of clinical presentation, the therapeutic possibilities, and oncological outcomes of patients with malignant tumors of the temporal bone in a tertiary hospital in Portugal.

The authors present a retrospective study of temporal bone tumors treated and followed during otorhinolaryngology consultations between 2004 and 2014. A review of the literature is also included.

Of the 18 patients included in the study, 16 had a primary tumor of the temporal bone, in most cases with squamous cell carcinoma histology. Of these, 13 patients were treated with curative intent that always included the surgical approach. Disease persistence was observed in one patient and local recurrence in five patients, on average 36.8 months after the initial treatment.

The anatomical complexity of the temporal bone and the close associations with vital structures make it difficult to perform tumor resection with margins of safety and thus, tumor relapses are almost always local. A high level of suspicion is crucial for early diagnosis, and stringent and prolonged follow-up after treatment is essential for diagnosis and timely treatment of recurrances.

Os tumores malignos do osso temporal são raros, com uma incidência estimada de cerca de 0,8–1 por milhão de habitantes por ano. A grande maioria são carcinomas espino-celulares e o seu tratamento é eminentemente cirúrgico.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo tentar sistematizar as formas de apresentação clínica, as possibilidades terapêuticas e os resultados oncológicos de doentes com tumores malignos do osso temporal num hospital terciário em Portugal.

Os autores apresentam um estudo retrospectivo de tumores do osso temporal tratados e acompanhados em consultas de otorrinolaringologia entre 2004 e 2014. É também apresentada uma revisão da literatura.

Dos 18 doentes incluídos no estudo, 16 apresentavam um tumor primário do osso temporal, na maioria dos casos com histologia de carcinoma espinocelular. Destes, 13 doentes foram submetidos a tratamento com intuito curativo que incluiu sempre uma abordagem cirúrgica. Verificou-se persistência da doença em 1 doente e recidiva local em 5 doentes, em média 36,8 meses após o tratamento inicial.

A complexidade anatómica do osso temporal e as estreitas relações com estruturas de importância vital tornam difícil a exérese tumoral com margens de segurança, pelo que as recidivas tumorais são quase sempre locais. Um nível de suspeição elevado é fundamental para um diagnóstico precoce e o seguimento rigoroso e prolongado após o tratamento é essencial para o diagnóstico e tratamento oportuno das recidivas.