Temporal Bone Carcinoma: Results of Surgery for Primary and Secondary Malignancies

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty patients underwent surgical treatment for malignant tumors of the external auditory canal and the middle ear. There were 16 males and four females, with a mean age of 66 years (range 37 to 79 years). Eight patients had primary, 12 patients had secondary temporal bone tumors. Primary tumors involved the middle ear or the ear canal, while secondary tumors originated from the auricle, its neighborhood, or the parotid gland. Computed tomography was used to assess the extent of involvement. Tumor staging was made according to the system proposed by Arriaga et al. Partial (n=7) or total (n=2) temporal bone resections, or a subtotal resection (petrosectomy) (n=11) were performed. All the patients received postoperative irradiation at a total dose of 6,000 cGy in 30 fractions for six weeks. Clinical characteristics, types of operations, and survival were analyzed. Statistical analysis was made using the chi-square test.