Paraganglioma of the External Auditory Canal : A Case Report

Paragangliomas are benign tumors originating from paraganglia and characterized by a collection of small neuroendocrine organs. In the ear, paragangliomas are commonly found in the middle ear or jugular bulb. Paragangliomas of the external auditory canal (EAC) are extremely rare. Here, we present our experience with a 25-year-old woman who was admitted to our otology department for intermittent scanty left otorrhea. A physical examination revealed a 3×4 mm-sized pedunculated mass on upper portion of the anterior wall of the left EAC. Computed tomography revealed a non-specific, soft tissue mass in the left EAC without erosion of the underlying bony canal. An excisional biopsy was performed. Histopathological features favored a diagnosis of paraganglioma. At a 9 month post-operative follow-up, the patient had a patent external auditory canal without recurrence. Paragangliomas tend to be locally destructive, and can lead to disability in the form of hearing loss especially in EAC. Although paraganglioma is a very rare disease, our results indicate that it should be included in the differential diagnosis of an EAC mass. (J Clinical Otolaryngol 2017;28:234-237)