CERUMINOMA - A DEFUNCT DIAGNOSIS

The clinical and pathological features of glandular tumours of the ext ernal auditory meatus are presented. Their heterogenous clinical and p athological features make the collective term 'ceruminoma' ambiguous a nd misleading. The spectrum of pathological behaviour and histological features demonstrated by these interesting tumours necessitate a broa der classification system. In our hospital 32 patients presented with tumours of the external auditory meatus over a 30-year period, of whic h seven were glandular in origin. A review of the histology of these g landular tumours enabled us to reclassify them as adenoma, cylindroma, adenoid cystic carcinoma or ceruminous adenocarcinoma. Together with the less common mucoepidermoid carcinoma and pleomorphic adenoma this subdivision forms a basis for a more meaningful classification system with prognostic and therapeutic implications specific to each tumour t ype. The term 'ceruminoma' should no longer be used unqualified.