Tumor of External Canal

Subject: Medical and Surgical Nursing II (Theory)

Overview

An unnatural growth of body tissue is called a tumor. Cancerous and non-cancerous tumors both exist. They can develop on the outer ear, inside the middle or inner ear, or in the ear canal. Distinct tumors in the ear have different behaviors. A new bone that extends into the bony canal lumen is called an extosis. When a tumor is large, it might block the ear canal on its own or because of cerumen and debris buildup. It could make you feel irritated and deaf. When obstructive exotosis aggravates chronic suppurative middle ear cleft, mastoidectomy becomes necessary. Plain radiography of the temporal bone and a CT scan to check for tumor growth and bony erosion.

Benign tumors of the external canal

  • Benign tumor (Exostosis)

               A new bone that extends into the bony canal lumen is called an extosis. This kind could be:

  • Rare and typically unilateral is the single pedunculated.
  • This type of multiple exostosis is more common and typically bilateral.

Clinical features

  • Usually without symptoms
  • When a tumor is large, it might block the ear canal on its own or because of cerumen and debris buildup.
  • It might make you feel irritated and deaf.

Treatment

  • As often as necessary, aural irrigation is used to keep the canal clear of accumulated debris.
  • Surgical removal of the tumor
  • When obstructive exotosis aggravates chronic suppurative middle ear cleft, mastoidectomy becomes necessary.

Malignant tumors of external ear

  • The most prevalent malignant tumor is squamous cell carcinoma. It may happen in the external canal or auricle.
  • There may also be adenocarcinoma and basal cell carcinoma (rodent ulcer)

Clinical features

  • Blood-stained fluid coming from the ear
  • Granulation and polyps may bleed easily when touched. Deep ear pain may not initially be present.
  • The type of deafness is conductive.
  • Early on, local lymph nodes could be affected.

 Diagnosis

  • Amass or ulcer is biopsyed.
  • Using plain radiography of the temporal bone and a CT scan to look for tumor spread and bony erosion.

Treatment

  • Failure requires excision after irradiation
  • Total auriculectomy if the malignancy is only present in the auricle
  • Extreme mastectomy

REFERENCE

Black, joyee M. Medical Surgical Nursing. Clinical Management for positive outcome, 6th edition

Brunner and Siddhartha's Medical-surgical Nursing, 9th edition.

Mandal, G.N. Textbook of Adult Nursing. Kathmandu: Makalu Publication House, 2013.

Williams and Wilkins, The Lippincott manual of Nursing practice, 7th edition, International student edition, 2001.

 

 
Things to remember
  • An unnatural growth of body tissue is called a tumor.
  • Cancerous and non-cancerous tumors both exist.
  • They can develop on the outer ear, inside the middle or inner ear, or in the ear canal.
  • Distinct tumors in the ear have different behaviors. A new bone that extends into the bony canal lumen is called an extosis.
  • When a tumor is large, it might block the ear canal on its own or because of cerumen and debris buildup.
  • It could make you feel irritated and deaf.
  • When obstructive exotosis aggravates chronic suppurative middle ear cleft, mastoidectomy becomes necessary.
  • Plain radiography of the temporal bone and a CT scan to check for tumor growth and bony erosion.
Questions and Answers
  • As often as necessary, aural irrigation is used to keep the canal clear of accumulated debris.
  • Surgical removal of the tumor
  • When obstructive exotosis complicates chronic supurative middle ear cleft, mastoidectomy is required.
  • Cancerous external ear tumors
  • The most prevalent malignant tumor is squamous cell carcinoma. It may happen in the external canal or auricle.
  • There may also be adenocarcinoma and basal cell carcinoma (rodent ulcer)

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