Angioleiomyoma of the external auditory canal resected with the canal wall down and reconstruction

Abstract

Angioleiomyoma is a benign tumor arising from subcutaneous tissue and is extremely rare in the external auditory canal. We herein report a case of angioleiomyoma arising from the external auditory canal resected with the canal wall down and reconstruction. A 47-year-old man visited an outpatient clinic with a complaint of ear fullness and was then examined for a tumor in the external auditory canal at our hospital. The preoperative diagnosis could not be determined by computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging or cytology. Surgical resection was performed for a tumor of the external auditory canal, and the canal wall resected along with the tumor was reconstructed using cartilage. The removed tumor was histologically diagnosed as angioleiomyoma. The patient has been free from recurrence during 10 months of follow-up with no retraction of the canal wall. An adequate surgical margin should be recommended, as angioleiomyoma has the potential for malignant transformation or recurrence. We intend to observe the status of the tumor and the canal wall structure going forward.