[Rhabdomyosarcoma of the middle ear].

A seven year old boy was admitted with what appeared to be polyp of the external auditory canal, otitis media and Bell's palsy. It was subsequently diagnosed as rhabdomyosarcoma of the middle ear. This rare tumor must not be out of mind of practitioners, and especially pediatricians and E.N.T. specialists, when they have to examine a child with what looks like chronic otitis media, and aural polyp, or idiopathic facial paralysis. The diagnosis is histological and must be quickly made for early and aggressive multimodal antitumor therapy, which seems to be improving the hitherto gloomy prognosis for these highly lethal sarcoma.