Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the external auditory canal.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the external auditory canal is much less common than squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. Signs and symptoms of the case presented here consisted of a longstanding discharging ear, a progressive hearing loss, and the presence of a circumferential subcutaneous induration in the distal third of the external auditory canal. No dizziness, tinnitus, or facial weakness was present. Computed tomography showed a soft tissue mass in the external auditory canal and middle ear with no lytic areas of the mastoid or the temporal region. A biopsy specimen was interpreted as an adenoid cystic carcinoma. Treatment consisted of radical excision of the external auditory canal via a modified temporal bone resection. This radical approach resulted in the local eradication of the lesion.