There are a range of middle ear tumors, which are more likely to be benign than malignant.
Pathology
The three most common middle ear tumors are (not in any particular order as there are differences in the literature) 1-3:
-
most commonly arising from the facial nerve but can also arise from the Jacobson nerve, chorda tympani or the Arnold nerve 2
Other rarer middle ear tumors include 2
Differential diagnosis
If large, these can be difficult to distinguish from direct extension into the middle ear of
external acoustic meatus malignancies (e.g. squamous or basal cell carcinoma)
schwannomas originating from outside the middle ear
Additionally, aggressive infections (e.g. malignant otitis externa, tuberculous otomastoiditis, Aspergillus) can appear similar.
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