Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma
This type of malignancy can arise from the parotid gland or from glands located in the ear canal. This type of tumor has a tendency to invade nerve fibers and then grow within the nerve fibers in both directions. In general chemotherapy and radiation therapy have minor roles in treatment. The best treatment involves surgical resection.
For lesions limited to the ear canal and eardrum, surgery involves a lateral temporal bone resection (complete removal of the ear canal and eardrum). When the tumor has spread into the middle ear space, a subtotal temporal bone resection should be performed. This involves the additional removal of the inner ear. For more extensive lesions, consideration should be given to a total temporal bone resection.