Ear Tumor - Types, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Introduction:

Tumors of the ear occur in the outer, inner, and middle ears. They are benign except for a few tumors that may be cancerous. They are noticed by individuals or when a doctor examines the ear for a different reason. These affect an individual's hearing by decreasing the hearing or causing complete loss of hearing.

What Is an Ear Tumor?

Generally, most ear tumors are noncancerous (benign). These tumors occur due to the abnormal growth of cells in the ear in an uncontrolled way. Ear tumors usually start in the skin of the ear and slowly spread to other parts of the ear, including the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. Ear tumors may start from the inside of the ear. In this type of tumor, the temporal bone in the ear may get affected. Ear tumor or cancer is very rare. Only 300 people have affected with ear cancer annually in the United States.

What Are the Types of Ear Tumors?

There is a difference between ear cysts and ear tumors. These two appear similar, causing a bump or lump in the ear.

Ear Cysts: Ear cysts are small sacs that contain fluid and may also contain solid material, most of which are noncancerous.

Ear Tumors: Tumors contain solid masses, and they may be cancerous or may not be cancerous.

Ear tumors may be classified into benign or malignant (cancerous)

Types of Benign Tumors:

Benign tumors cause blockage of the ear canal and result in the building of earwax.

Types of noncancerous ear tumors include:

• Acoustic neuromas.

• Adenomas.

• Cholesteatoma.

• Glomus tympanicum paraganglioma.

• Keloids.

• Osteomas and exostoses.

• Sebaceous cysts.

Types of Malignant Tumors:

Skin cancer affecting the ears is:

• Basal cell carcinoma.

• Melanoma.

• Squamous cell carcinoma.

Cancers affecting the middle ear and inner ear are:

• Ceruminous adenoma.

• Rhabdomyosarcoma.

What Are the Causes of Ear Tumors?

Tumors occur when newer cells are formed faster than the normal cells in the body. Older cells and damaged cells do not die and remain for a longer period. These older and newer cells, in excess, form a tumor. Cancerous tumors are formed when uncontrolled cell growth is present. If this condition is not treated, then it may spread to other body parts ( metastasis).

What Are the Risk Factors That Cause Ear Tumors?

All age groups may equally get affected by ear tumors. Risk factors that may cause ear tumors are:

• Chronic ear infections.

• The act of ear piercing.

• Neurofibromatosis.

• Exposure to radiation therapy.

• Exposure to cold water repeatedly.

• Smoking directly or exposure to secondhand smoke.

What Are the Symptoms of an Ear Tumor?

An ear tumor's symptoms depend on the tumor type and the affected part of the ear.

• Unable to balance the body or dizziness.

• Discharge or bleeding in the ear.

• Pain in the ear.

• Headache.

• Hearing gets affected.

• Sore or wound that does not heal.

• Discoloration of skin and appearance of a new mole or changes to the mole.

• Lymph nodes that are swollen.

• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

• Muscles of the face become weak.

How to Diagnose an Ear Tumor?

Diagnosis can be made by using the following methods.

• During routine ear examination, it may be diagnosed by a healthcare professional.

• A complete ear examination by an ENT and otolaryngologist to know other ear disorders.

• An audiologist may test the hearing.

• A biopsy is done to remove the tumor or tumor cell and subjected to examination.

• A pathologist will examine and provide the diagnosis.

• Imaging techniques like CT (computed tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is used to check the inner ear tumors as it is difficult to reach the inner parts of the ear.

• Surgery may be required in rare cases.

What Is the Treatment for Ear Tumors?

Few noncancerous ear tumors do not require treatment. However, these tumors may require treatment if hearing or balance is affected. When there is no need for treatment, observing an individual's tumor is necessary.

• Radiosurgery can be done to remove ear tumors like acoustic neuromas. In this procedure, high doses of radiation are used directly on the tumor.

• In the case of the treatment of keloids, corticosteroids are injected into the tumor. Some cases of these may need surgery and then followed by radiation therapy.

Treatment of malignant ear tumors depends on tumor type and location.

• Mohs surgery is done to remove cancerous cells from the skin.

• Radiosurgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy may be used to kill cancer cells.

• A surgical procedure removes the cancer cells in conditions like a ceruminous adenoma tumor.

What Are the Complications of Ear Tumors?

Benign tumors that do not require treatment may cause complications like hearing loss.

Ear tumor treatments also may cause complications like loss of hearing, balance problems, tinnitus, and facial weakness. In addition, large ear tumors may put pressure on the brain stem. This prevents the normal fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) from flowing between the brain and spinal cord. Because of this, an increase in pressure in the skull occurs due to the build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the head.

What Is the Prognosis of Ear Tumors?

A few ear tumors do not require treatment. Others that may require treatment recover well. Skin cancers may return, so one should be observed keenly if it is returning.

Conclusion:

The ear is an important organ of the body. If any slight discomfort is seen in the ear, that may affect the quality of one's life. Tumors of the ear are noncancerous, but they may pose problems like hearing loss that may affect the quality of life. Hence it becomes important to know about ear tumors, their causes, symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and complications. Knowing about it helps one to seek help from a healthcare professional. Early diagnosis helps achieve effective treatment, which in turn, leads to a good quality of life.