2017 Volume 149 Pages 1-5
This report describes a case of giant cell tumor of the soft tissue of the external auditory canal. The patient was a 49-year-old woman who had noticed that for the past three months, water had a tendency to collect easily in her right ear during bathing. At the time, a sometimes painful mass was palpable in her right external auditory canal, so she visited a nearby otolaryngology clinic. A right external auditory canal tumor was identified, and she was referred to our hospital for further diagnosis. At the time of the initial diagnosis, we palpated a smooth, elastic, and slightly soft mass located mainly on the right external auditory canal anterior wall. A computed tomography examination revealed a mass extending from the cartilaginous part of the right external auditory canal to the bony part. The entire mass was surgically removed under general anesthesia, and the specimen was examined histopathologically. The mass extended from the right external auditory canal floor to the anterior wall, so a second operation was performed to remove these structures, including the skin. A histopathological examination revealed multinucleate giant cells resembling osteoclasts with a core that was similar to mononuclear cells, and the lesion was diagnosed as a soft tissue giant cell tumor. Local recurrence has not been observed for 18 months since the surgeries. Most giant cell tumors of soft tissue develop in the limbs, but they may develop from any part of the body including the head and neck region. No significant differences according to age or sex are apparent. Surgery is the treatment of first choice. The existence of giant cell tumors originating from soft tissue was first described by Salm et al. in 1972.
