Geeta Yadav1, Rajanikant R. Yadav2, Riddhi Jaiswal3, Satya Prakash Agarwal4, Madhu Mati Goel5
Ceruminous adenocarcinoma is an extremely rare malignant tumour arising from apocrine ceruminous glands of the external auditory canal. Histologically, ceruminous adenocarcinomas are similar to adenocarcinomas elsewhere, except that the glandular luminal tumour cells show apical snouts or blebs indicating an apocrine origin. Central comedo necrosis and stromal invasion helps differentiate these tumours from benign ceruminous adenomas. It may be difficult to differentiate ceruminous adenocarcinomas from other adenocarcinomas occurring in the external auditory canal and from benign ceruminous adenoma if small samples are submitted for histopathological examination. We report on a case of ceruminous adenocarcinoma in a 70-year-old male who presented with an infiltrating growth involving his left external auditory canal along with longstanding painless ear discharge. Incisional biopsy was suggestive of adenocarcinoma; however, postoperative histopathological examination confirmed the tumour to be ceruminous adenocarcinoma.
