Middle ear adenoma with neuroendocrine differentiation: relate of two cases and literature review.

INTRODUCTION

Adenomas with neuroendocrine differentiation are defined as neuroendocrine neoplasms, and they are rarely found in the head and neck.

OBJECTIVE

To describe two cases of a middle ear adenoma with neuroendocrine differentiation, with a literature review.

CASE REPORT: Patient 1 was a 41-year-old woman who presented with a 3-year history of left aural fullness associated with ipsilateral "hammer beating" tinnitus. Patient 2 was a 41-year-old male who presented with unilateral conductive hearing loss.

CONCLUSION

Adenoma with neuroendocrine differentiation of the middle ear is a rare entity, but it should be considered in patients with tinnitus, aural fullness, and a retrotympanic mass and remembered as a diferential diagnosis of tympanic paraganglioma.