Giant-cell tumor of the tendon sheath in the external auditory canal.

Giant-cell tumor of the tendon sheath (GCTTS) and pigmented villonodular synovitis belong to the same type of benign proliferative lesions originating in the synovia that usually affect the joints, bursae, and tendon sheaths. They frequently involve the hands, knees, ankles, and feet. We report a case of GCTTS in the external auditory canal in a 53-year-old woman who presented with hearing loss, fullness, and a sessile lesion protruding from the anterior wall of her external ear canal. The 1.5-cm diameter mass was spherical, well encapsulated, firm, and covered with normal skin. The lesion was completely excised, and the patient's symptoms resolved. No recurrence was detected at 2 years of follow-up.