Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the External Auditory Canal: A Clinicopathologic Study of 20 Cases

Clinicopathologic findings in 20 patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal confirm the generally poor prognosis due to the frequency of advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Mixed modes of therapy used in these patients over the past two decades reflects the lack of therapeutic guidelines based on controlled trials using a standardized surgical approach with or without preoperative or postoperative radiotherapy. Pathologic studies indicate the need for careful preoperative determination of the extent of spread, histologic typing, and the development of a staging classification for advanced disease. Exfoliative cytological examination is potentially useful in screening patients with chronic otitis media.