Korean J Radiol.  2012 Dec;13(6):812-815. 10.3348/kjr.2012.13.6.812.

Imaging Finding of Malignant Melanoma of Eustachian Tube with Extension to Middle Ear Cavity: Case Report

• Kim HC
• Jang HW
• Lee HJ

• KMID: 1397514
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/kjr.2012.13.6.812

Abstract

We report a case of malignant melanoma of Eustachian tube with extension to the middle ear cavity and nasopharynx in a 51-year-old woman who presented with right ear fullness. Computed tomography showed a soft tissue mass in the middle ear cavity and causedthe widening and eroding of the bony eustachian tube. Magnetic resonance imaging showed well enhancing mass in eustachian tube extending nasopharynx to middle ear cavity. A biopsy of the middle ear cavity mass revealed a malignant amelanotic melanoma.

Keyword

Melanoma; Middle ear; MRI

MeSH Terms

Ear Neoplasms/*diagnosis
Ear, Middle/pathology
*Eustachian Tube
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Melanoma/*diagnosis
Middle Aged
Nasopharynx/pathology
Neoplasm Invasiveness
Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 51-year-old woman with malignant melanoma of Eustachian tube. A. Computed tomography of amelanotic melanoma. Soft tissue mass in middle ear cavity is widening and eroding bony Eustachian tube. B-E. Magnetic resonance imaging of amelanotic melanoma, which is characterized as elliptical-shaped well defined mass located in Eustachian tube and extending from orifice in nasopharynx (arrows) to middle ear cavity (arrowheads). Mass shows iso-signal intensity to muscle on T1-weighted images (B, C), with moderate homogeneous enhancement following administration of contrast material (D, E). F-H. Histopathological study of amelanotic melanoma. Most cells do not contain melanin (F, Hematoxylin-Eosin, original magnification × 10). On immunohistochemical stainings, tumor cells are strongly positive for melanoma antibody HMB45 (G) and Melan-A (H).

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