Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T05:16:39.844Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Ceruminous gland tumours: a reappraisal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

P. Mansour
Affiliation:
Departments of Histopathology, Dudley Road Hospital, Brimingham.
M. K. George
Affiliation:
Departmaents of Otolaryngology, Dudley Road Hosital, Birmingham.
A. L. Pahor*
Affiliation:
Departmaents of Otolaryngology, Dudley Road Hosital, Birmingham.
*
Mr Ahmes L. Pahor, ENT Department, Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham B18 7QH.

Abstract

Ceruminous glands should no longer be regarded as purely apocrine glands, but as apoeccrine glands with both apocrine and eccrine modes of secretion. We present two cases of pleomorphic adenoma of ceruminous glands, among the rarest of such tumours. The use of such terms as ‘ceruminoma’ and ‘hidradenoma’ should finally be abandoned, and ‘ceruminous gland tumour’ used instead as a generic term. Classification should be based on Wetli's prototype (adenoma, pleomorphic adenoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma and adenocarcinoma), with the addition of benign eccrine cylindroma and syringocystadenoma papilliferum; the inclusion of mucoepidermoid carcinoma should await full validation. Wide local excision is necessary for all tumours, with only follow-up for histologically benign neoplasms. Malignant tumours need early aggressive surgery and radiotherapy. If marginal invasion cannot be assessed histologically, then adenoma and adenocarcinoma cannot be distinguished and we suggest that the tumour be reported as ‘of uncertain malignant potential’. Long-term studies are needed to confirm or refute the view that all ceruminous gland tumours are potentially malignant.

Type
Clinical Records
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Botha, J. B., Kahn, L. B. (1978) Aggressive chondroid syringoma. Archives of Dermatology, 114: 954955.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Collins, R. J., Yu, H. C. (1989) Pleomorphic adenoma of the external auditory canal—an immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study. Cancer, 64: 870875.3.0.CO;2-3>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conley, J., Schuller, D. E. (1976) Malignancies of the ear. Laryngoscope, 86: 11471163.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dehner, L. P., Chen, K. T. K. (1980) Primary tumours of the external and middle ear—benign and malignant glandular neoplasms. Archives of Otolaryngology, 106: 1319.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fligiel, Z., Kaneko, M. (1975) Extramammary Paget's disease of the external ear canal in association with ceruminous gland carcinoma. Cancer, 36: 10721076.3.0.CO;2-W>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Friedmann, I. (1986) Tumours of the ceruminous glands. In: Systemic Pathology, 3rd edition (Symmers, W. StC, Gen. Ed.) Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, Volume 1: Nose, Throat and Ears, p. 323327.Google Scholar
Friedmann, I. (1990) Pathological lesions of the external auditory meatus: a review. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 83: 3437.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Habib, M. A. (1981) Ceruminoma in association with other sweat gland tumours. Journal of Laryngology and Otology, 95: 415420.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hawke, M., van Nostrand, P. (1987) Eccrine hidrocystoma of the external ear canal: a case report. Journal of Otolaryngology, 16: 4345.Google ScholarPubMed
Hicks, G. W. (1983) Tumours arising from the glandular structures of the external auditory canal. Laryngoscope, 93: 326340.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnstone, J. M., Lennox, B., Watson, A. J. (1957) Five cases of hidradenoma of the external auditory meatus: so-called ceruminonoma. Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology, 73: 421427.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kawabata, I. (1964) Electron microscope studies on the human ceruminous gland. Archives of Histology of Japan, 25: 165187.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lynde, C. W., McLean, D. I., Wood, W. S. (1984) Tumours of ceruminous glands. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 11; 841847.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Main, T., Lim, D. (1976) The human external auditory canal secretory system—an ultrastructural study. Laryngoscope, 86: 11641176.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Michaels, L. (1987) Ear, Nose and Throat Histopathology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, p. 5961.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moss, R., Labay, G., Mehta, N. (1987) Ceruminoma revisited. American Journal of Otology, 8: 485488.Google ScholarPubMed
Pahor, A. L., O'Hara, M. D. (1975) Hidradenomata of the external auditory meatus (review of the literature and report of a pleomorphic adenoma). Journal of Laryngology and Otology, 89: 707720.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peel, R. L. (1985) Ceruminous gland tumours. In: Surgical Pathology of the Head and Neck (Barnes, L., Ed.) Dekker, New York. Volume 1: p. 473477.Google Scholar
Pulec, J. L. (1977) Glandular tumours of the external auditory canal. Laryngoscope, 87: 16011612.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saeger, K. L., Gruskin, P., Carberry, J. N. (1982) Salivary gland choristoma of the middle ear. Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 106: 3940.Google ScholarPubMed
Santa Cruz, D. J. (1989) Apocrine gland tumours. Presented at: International Update in Dermatology and Dermatopathology; Brighton, England: September 1989.Google Scholar
Shanmugaratnam, K., Sobin, L. H. (1991) Histological Typing of Tumours of the Upper Respiratory Tract and Ear. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wetli, C. V., Pardo, V., Millard, M., Gerston, K. (1972) Tumours of ceruminous glands. Cancer, 29: 11691178.3.0.CO;2-8>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilson, R. S., Johnson, J. T. (1980) Benign eccrine cylindroma of the external auditory canal. Laryngoscope, 90: 379382.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yamamoto, E., Tabuchi, K., Mori, K. (1987) Ceruminous adenoma in the osseous external auditory canal: a case report. Journal of Laryngology and Otology, 101: 940945.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zarbo, J. R., Regezi, J. A., Batsakis, J. G. (1986) S-100 protein in salivary gland tumours. An immunohistochemical study of 129 cases. Head and Neck Surgery, 8: 268275.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed