Aggressive papillary middle ear tumors: a report of two cases with review of the literature

Case Series and Systematic Review of Radiation Outcomes for Endolymphatic Sac Tumors

OBJECTIVE

Surgery is the primary treatment modality for endolymphatic sac tumors (ELST). Two case examples are presented to highlight some rare instances when radiation therapy may be used. The outcomes following radiation therapy for ELST are controversial. This report systematically reviews those outcomes and compares results between external beam radiation and stereotactic radiosurgery.

DATA SOURCE

In accordance with PRISMA guidelines a systematic literature search of the Ovid Medline, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane library, and clinicaltrails.gov databases was performed in August 2017.

STUDY SELECTION

Twenty-two studies met inclusion criteria and report ELST outcomes following radiation therapy. Additional data on tumor size, previous surgery, radiation modality, and radiation dosing was collected.

DATA EXTRACTION

The methodological quality was independently assessed by three reviewers. The included studies were small, heterogeneous case reports with a low level of evidence, and several sources of bias.

DATA SYNTHESIS

The primary outcome was tumor control following radiation, defined as no growth. A comparative analysis of external beam versus stereotactic radiation was performed.

CONCLUSION

Forty-six tumors from 42 patients were independently analyzed. The overall tumor control rate was 67.4%. When analyzing patients in which tumor was present at the time of radiation, external beam radiation controlled 9 of 19 tumors (47.4%) while stereotactic radiosurgery controlled 14 of 18 tumors (77.8%). The effect size of 30.4% favors stereotactic radiosurgery, but the wide confidence interval (-4.4 to 57.4%) limits what conclusions can be drawn. Radiation for ELST remains controversial and more long-term data is needed.

Update From the 4th Edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Head and Neck Tumours: Tumours of the Ear

The 2017 fourth edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Tumours, specifically as it relates to the ear (Chap. 9), has several changes. Importantly, the number of entities has been significantly reduced by omitting tumors or lesions if they do not occur exclusively or predominantly at this site or if they are discussed in detail elsewhere in the book. These entities include: embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, osteoma, exostosis, angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia, Schneiderian papilloma, inverted papilloma, lipoma of the internal auditory canal, hemangioma, hematolymphoid tumors, and secondary tumors. Paraganglioma was included in the neck chapter. New entries include otosclerosis and cholesteatoma, while refinements to nomenclature, classification and criteria were incorporated into the ceruminous gland tumors and epithelial tumors of the middle and inner ear. Specifically, the middle and inner ear were combined, as practical limitations of origin and imaging make a definitive separation artificial. The classification reflects the state of current understanding for these uncommon entities, with this update only highlighting selected entities that were the most significantly changed.

Aggressive low grade middle ear adenocarcinoma with multiple recurrences: a case report

Background

Primary tumours of the middle ear are much less commonly encountered in clinical practice than non neoplastic lesions. Middle ear adenocarcinoma is a very rare, locally invasive neoplasm assumed to arise from the middle ear mucosa. Because the natural course and clinical behavior of this neoplasm are far from established, the sporadic reports of such cases continue to provide basis for better understanding.

Case description

A case of low grade adenocarcinoma of the middle ear is described in details with regard to its clinical presentation, radiological findings, histopathological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings. The tumour recurred four times.

Conservative management of endolymphatic sac tumors in von Hippel-Lindau disease: case report

In endolymphatic sac tumors associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease, early detection and surgery have been warranted to avoid associated neurological morbidity. However, in lately discovered tumors, hearing preserving surgery is often impossible and timing of surgical resection is difficult to define. We report two cases of tumors revealed by a sudden and profound hearing loss and managed conservatively for more than 15 years without worsening of the neurological symptoms associated with the endolymphatic sac tumor. Tumor size remained stable for the first patient and a stuttering growth pattern was observed for the second patient. Initial observation may be considered a not unreasonable management paradigm in these cases.

Aggressive Papillary Tumor of the Middle Ear: A True Entity or an Endolymphatic Sac Neoplasm?

Aggressive papillary tumors of the middle ear are rare, and their true origin is not clear. We describe the clinical, radiologic, genetic, and histopathologic features of a papillary epithelial tumor filling the middle ear of a 68-year-old woman. Imaging revealed no evidence of petrous temporal bone apex involvement, nor did genetic studies demonstrate the von Hippel-Lindau mutation. A literature search revealed 24 previously reported cases of such a papillary epithelial tumor of the middle ear. All except 2 cases demonstrated apical petrous temporal bone invasion on imaging, and it has been suggested that they arose from a primary endolymphatic sac tumor, which has a similar papillary epithelial histology. Substantial numbers of cases of papillary epithelial tumors involving the middle ear are reported to be associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease, as are known cases of endolymphatic sac tumor. This is the third reported case of papillary epithelial tumor of the middle ear that does not show apical petrous temporal bone invasion on imaging, suggesting that such neoplasms do not always arise from a primary in the endolymphatic sac.

Endolymphatic sac tumor located around semicircular canals

We report a case of endolymphatic sac tumor (ELST). A 48-year-old female had recurrent and slowly progressive hearing loss, accompanied with dizziness like Meniere's disease. A tumor was located around the semicircular canals, and was detected on CT and MRI. The patient underwent total removal of the tumor using a transmastoid approach. Histopathological examinations agreed with features of an ELST. The tumor was highly suspected to have originated from the rugose portion of the endolymphatic sac or the endolymphatic duct, based on surgical and imaging studies. Structure of the membranous labyrinth was preserved regardless of the existence of the tumor around semicircular canals with bone destruction. ELSTs seem to have an osteolytic or osteophilic nature, by examining patterns of tumor infiltration.

Differential Grading of Endolymphatic Sac Tumor Extension by Virtue of von Hippel-Lindau Disease Status

OBJECTIVE

Endolymphatic sac tumors are aggressive papillary tumors of the temporal bone frequently associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease. The goal of this study was to use a newly devised classification system as a means to analyze differences between endolymphatic sac tumor extension in von Hippel-Lindau disease and non-von Hippel-Lindau disease patients.

METHODS

Previously reported cases of endolymphatic sac tumor and two new cases were retrospectively reviewed and assigned to a new classification system consisting of four grades based on tumor extent and location.

RESULTS

Mean age of 103 patients without von Hippel-Lindau disease was 52.5 years, whereas in 46 patients with VHL the mean age was 31.3 years. Patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease were more likely to be female (female-to male ratio of 2:1 for von Hippel-Lindau disease patients versus 1:1 for non-von Hippel-Lindau disease patients). Symptoms consisted of hearing loss (100% [mean duration, 10 yr] for VHL patients versus 97% [mean duration, 7.8 yr] for non-von Hippel-Lindau disease patients), facial weakness (38% versus 49%), and tinnitus or vertigo (41% versus 60%). Bilateral tumors were common in von Hippel-Lindau disease patients (28% versus 1%). Tumors in von Hippel-Lindau disease patients were significantly more likely to be lower grade than tumors in non-von Hippel-Lindau disease patients (Grade I, 40% versus 25%; Grade II, 50% versus 58%; Grade III, 8% versus 14%; and Grade IV, 2% versus 4%; p < 0.05). Before 1988, there were relatively fewer Grade I (15% versus 33%) and relatively more Grade II (69% versus 47%) endolymphatic sac tumors in non-von Hippel-Lindau disease patients than after 1988.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased usefulness of intracranial imaging since 1988 has led to the diagnosis of sporadic endolymphatic sac tumors with lower grades. Surveillance imaging in von Hippel-Lindau disease may account for the greater proportion of endolymphatic sac tumors diagnosed with lower grades. Endolymphatic sac tumors associated with a diagnosis of von Hippel-Lindau disease appear to affect a younger population of patients than non-von Hippel-Lindau disease cases and occur in women twice as often as in men when associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease. In addition, tumors are more frequently bilateral and less advanced in the von Hippel-Lindau disease patient as opposed to the non-von Hippel-Lindau disease patient.

Surgical Treatment of Endolymphatic Sac Tumor With Adjunctive Stereotactic Radiation Therapy

A 44-year-old man presented with an endolymphatic sac tumor (ELST) associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease, which required four surgical procedures within 10 years. The earlier two surgeries resulted in only partial removal of the tumor because of vigorous intraoperative bleeding. Stereotactic radiation therapy was performed twice. The intraoperative bleeding was easy to control in the third operation, and ultimately the tumor was totally extirpated in the fourth operation. Histological examination of the tumor specimen harvested in the final surgery showed that the tumor cells had clearly decreased in number, and the interstitial tissue had become fibrous with organization of the tumor vessels, compared with the tumor specimen from the first surgery. Preoperative radiotherapy may be effective to reduce the devastating intraoperative bleeding of ELST.

Epithelial tumors of the middle ear--are middle ear carcinoids really distinct from middle ear adenomas?

Primary tumors of the middle ear are much less commonly encountered in clinical practice than non-neoplastic lesions such as inflammatory polyps (aural polyps) or cholesteatomas. The rarity of such tumors can complicate attempts, by both clinicians and pathologists, to correctly classify them. It has been customary for many authors to segregate middle ear adenomas (MEAs) from middle ear carcinoids as two discrete benign neoplastic entities. It has become apparent, however, that MEAs and carcinoids of the middle ear share a sufficient number of overlapping pathologic features and similarities of clinical behavior to warrant their collapse into a single diagnostic category. It is proposed that these tumors should be designated as MEAs, which are defined as benign, indolent epithelial tumors of the middle ear that do not invade or erode bone and do not metastasize. The individual tumor cells are cytologically bland and polygonal, columnar or plasmacytoid-shaped; they may be arranged in islands, glandular formations or trabeculae, but not in papillary structures. They are typically keratin- and vimentin-positive immunohistochemically, and are often positive as well with antibodies for chromogranin A, synaptophysin, neuron-specific enolase, Leu-7, serotonin, pancreatic polypeptide and S-100 protein. Dense core neurosecretory granules may be identifiable by electron microscopy. Conservative surgical excision is the treatment of choice, and local recurrence following complete excision is quite uncommon.

Endolymphatic sac tumor associated with a von Hippel-Lindau disease patient: an immunohistochemical study

The authors report a case of endolymphatic sac tumor (ELST) associated with Von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL). A 20-year-old female VHL patient received a resection of a cerebellar hemangioblastoma 3 years ago and she had a co-existing of left petrous tumor. The petrous tumor showed a remarkable progression in 3 years and was resected subtotally. Histologically, the resected petrous tumor showed a papillary structure containing cuboidal or columnar cells with fibrous stroma and numerous microvessels and destructed temporal bone, all of which are consistent with ELST. We studied the expression of various kinds of cytokeratins (CKs) immunohistochemically and found distinct expression of CKs (CAM 5.2, 34betaE-12, CK7, CK8 and CK19), but not for CK10/13 or CK20. Vascular endothelial growth factor and neuron specific enolase showed strong immunoreactivity in the tumor cells. CD34 also had weak expression. Ki-67 antigen (MIB-1) immunoreactivity was found in focal areas, and the labeling index in the highest-density area was 48.9%. These findings suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor overexpression is an important factor for angiogenesis in ELST, much like other VHL-associated tumors, and that ELST may have a more highly aggressive component than the low-grade malignancy noted in previous reports.

Middle ear adenoma is an amphicrine tumor: why call it adenoma?

Middle ear adenoma (MEA) is a rare tumor postulated to take origin from the lining epithelium of the middle ear cavity. The authors report on a case of MEA arising in a 53-year old woman suffering from a sensation of fullness in her left ear, otalgia, and light left-sided hearing loss. Histopathologically, the lesion was composed of cuboidal and polygonal cells displaying a trabecular, tubulo-glandular, and solid pattern of growth. Immunohistochemically, neoplastic cells diffusely stained with anti-vimentin antibodies and were focally positive for chromogranin A, neuron-specific enolase, lysozyme, and cytokeratins AE1/AE3. The majority of tumor cells showed weak and diffuse staining with both anti-PP and anti-ACTH antibodies and intense positivity with anti-glucagon and anti Leu-7 antibodies. Ultrastructural investigation revealed both mucinous-glandular and neuroendocrine differentiation. The authors suggest that the appropriate terminology would be adeno-carcinoid or amphicrine tumor of the middle ear rather than "adenoma," a term that does not reflect its dual nature.

A case of endolymphatic sac tumor with long-term survival

A 72-year-old man developed left facial palsy at age 14 and left-sided hearing loss at age 20. At the age of 59, he presented with gait disturbance, and a large left cerebellopontine angle tumor was detected, which had markedly destroyed the pyramidal bone. The tumor was subtotally resected, but he required two more operations at the ages of 64 and 69 because of tumor regrowth. At the present time, recurrent tumor has destroyed the occipital bone and is invading the scalp. However, even though he has several cranial nerve palsies and cerebellar ataxia, he remains in stable condition and demonstrates long-term survival. The patient's surgical specimens revealed a papillary adenoma, which was recently thought to be of endolymphatic sac origin, although the origin of this kind of tumor, whether arising from the middle ear or from the endolymphatic sac, has not been established with certainty so far. In this paper, we provide further evidence that this tumor originates from the endolymphatic sac, based on anatomical, histopathological, and embryological evidence.

Endolymphatic sac tumours

This review article surveys clinical and pathological literature on endolymphatic sac tumours (ELST) and summarizes characteristics that describe the entity. ELST are rare neuroectodermal neoplasms in the petrous bone, originating from inner ear structures. They can be encountered sporadically or in von Hippel-Lindau disease. The most prominent symptom is sensorineural deafness. Historically, nomenclature of invasive adenoid tumours in the petrous bone has been divergent, the term papillary adenocarcinoma used most frequently. Histologically, they have a follicular or papillary and adenoid pattern that can be easily confused with various other neoplastic conditions including metastatic carcinoma. It remains to be verified whether similar tumours (papillary adenocarcinomas) can originate from the middle ear. Middle ear adenomas have a similar appearance but probably originate from neural crest cells in the middle ear. ELST can express a variety of epitopes (including cytokeratin and neuroectodermal markers) which can be detected immunohistochemically. In cases in von Hippel-Lindau disease the cerebello-pontine angle should be included in routine radiological examinations to detect ELST before the tumours lead to deafness. In apparently sporadic cases of ELST, genetic testing for von Hippel-Lindau disease should be considered. Correct distinction of ELST from metastatic carcinoma prevents futile searches for unknown primary tumours.

Differential expression of transthyretin in papillary tumors of the endolymphatic sac and choroid plexus

Aggressive papillary tumors of the temporal bone, occurring sporadically or as part of von Hippel-Lindau disease, have been shown to originate within the endolymphatic sac or duct. Also implicated as a potential precursor from which some of these tumors may arise is ectopic choroid plexus epithelium. To aid in the differentiation between papillary tumors of endolymphatic sac and duct origin and those arising from choroid plexus, an immunohistochemical study using stains for transthyretin (TTR), cytokeratins, S-100 protein, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was carried out on archival specimens of normal and neoplastic endolymphatic sac and duct and choroid plexus epithelium. Transthyretin, a marker for choroid plexus epithelium, was found to show differential expression between choroid plexus papillomas and aggressive papillary tumors of the endolymphatic sac or duct. Therefore the use of TTR in concert with other immunohistochemical stains appear to aid in the differentiation between intracranial and intratemporal papillary tumors arising from choroid plexus and endolymphatic sac or duct epithelium.