Characteristics of Melanocytic Nevus Arising from the External Auditory Canal / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A nevus is a benign tumor composed of nevus cells that are derived from melanocytes. It may occur anywhere on the skin, but its appearance in the external auditory canal (EAC) is very rare. The aim of this study is to analyze the characteristics of melanocytic nevi of the EAC. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 10 consecutive patients who underwent surgical excision of EAC nevi between March 2004 and February 2009. RESULTS: The size of these nevi ranged from 4 mm to 12 mm in diameter, with an average of 6.1 mm. Otoscopic examination revealed 7 cases of dome-shaped mass and 3 cases of papillomatous mass. Histological examinations revealed intradermal nevi in all cases, but there was one case of dysplastic nevus and two cases of papillomatous nevi that coexisted with cholesteatoma. These nevi were composed of epidermal hyperplasia and necrobiotic keratin debris within the papillomatous cleft. There has been no recurrence in these patients after 6 to 26 months (average 12.6 months) of follow-up. CONCLUSION: A melanocytic nevus of the EAC may be composed of dysplastic cells or coexist with cholesteatoma; in particular, its gross appearance is papillomatous. Therefore, every nevus should be excised to make a histopathological diagnosis.

A Case of Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of Auricular Skin Lesion / 대한이비인후과학회지

Sarcomatoid carcinoma is a biphasic tumor composed of squamous and spindle cell component, both of which are malignant. The diagnostic tool of sarcomatoid carcinoma is immunohistologic staining. The atypical cells react to be positive for vimentin and negative for S-100, desmin, carcinoembrionic antigen, smooth muscle actin. The primary cutaneous involvement of head and neck area is extremely rare. Therefore, it has been difficult to characterize the histognensis, biologic behavior, optimal treatment and prognosis. We experienced a case of a 24-years old female with sarcomatoid carcinoma at the auricular skin lesion, which has been treated successfully with wide excision of tumor and postoperative radiotherapy.

A Case of Anterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Infarction Initially Presented a Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss with a Normal Diffusion-weighted Brain MRI / 대한평형의학회지

A sudden hearing loss with vertigo may originate from vascular insufficiency and sometimes presents as a prodrome of anterior inferior cerebellar artery infarction. Here we describe the case of a 48-year-old male patient who presented with a sudden onset of hearing loss in his right ear and severe, whirling type dizziness without associated neurological signs or symptoms. The diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was normal on initial presentation, but 4 weeks after the onset of symptoms, the patient developed ipsilateral facial paralysis and dysarthria. A follow-up MRI revealed acute infarction in the territory of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery, involving the right lateral pons, right middle cerebellar peduncle, and inferolateral cerebellum.