PSEUDOEPITHELIOMATOUS HYPERPLASIA VERSUS SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE EXTERNAL AUDITORY-CANAL

Four case reports are presented to demonstrate the clinical and histop athologic similarity of pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia (PII) to squ amous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the external auditory canal (EAC). in al l four cases the original report of SCC on a biopsy specimen of an EAC lesion was corrected on review to PH, In one patient conservative man agement resulted in resolution of the EAC lesion, A. second patient un derwent radiation therapy and partial temporal bone resection with no SCC found in the surgical specimen, A third patient's ear canal had he aled with conservative treatment and repeated biopsy revealed no malig nancy, After a 6-year symptom-free interval, she developed invasive SC C with bone involvement that required surgery and radiation treatment, A fourth patient underwent, a sleeve resect-ion of the skin of the EA C that proved to be PR, and no evidence of SCC was found, A thoughtful clinical history, careful physical examination, response to conservat ive treatment, and close communication with the pathologist should be exercised in the evaluation of EAC lesions.