Carcinoid tumor of the middle ear: report of a case.

Carcinoid tumor of the middle ear is an extremely rare lesion of the middle ear, and thus its diagnosis is frequently delayed. Some authors found it hard to differentiate middle ear carcinoid from the middle ear adenoma. However, the balance of opinion is currently on the side of considering it as a separate clinical entity. Definitive diagnosis is made by identifying neurosecretory tumor cells using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. It usually follows a nonaggressive clinical course, rarely metastases, and infrequently recurs after radical excisions. We present a patient with middle ear carcinoid, who is free of disease 2 years after the resection of the tumor mass with canal wall-down procedure. The relevant literature is also herewith reviewed.