J Korean Med Sci.  2009 Dec;24(6):1227-1229. 10.3346/jkms.2009.24.6.1227.

Solitary Metastasis of Bronchogenic Adenocarcinoma to the Internal Auditory Canal: A Case Report

• Chang KH
• Song CE
• Seo JH
• Yeo SW

• KMID: 1783163
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2009.24.6.1227

Abstract

We report a patient with an isolated metastasis to the internal auditory canal (IAC) of bronchogenic adenocarcinoma. A 58-yr-old man who had received 6-cycle of chemotherapy under diagnosis of non-small cell lung carcinoma (T4N2M0) two years ago was referred to our department with vertigo, right-sided facial paralysis and right-sided hearing loss. A provisional diagnosis of vestibular schwannoma or meningioma involving right IAC was made from magnetic resonance imaging. The patient underwent a translabyrinthine removal of the tumor. Histopathological study of the resected lesion showed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma compatible with bronchogenic origin. The patient died 9 months after surgery from extensive brain metastasis despite postoperative radiation therapy. In patients with a previous history of treatment of malignancy elsewhere in the body, the possibility of IAC metastasis must be considered when an IAC lesion is detected.

Keyword

Neoplasm Metastasis; Internal Auditory Canal; Adenocarcinoma; Lung Neoplasms

MeSH Terms

Adenocarcinoma/*pathology/surgery
Ear Neoplasms/*secondary/surgery
Fatal Outcome
Humans
Lung Neoplasms/*pathology
Male
Middle Aged

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted axial MRI scan showing a space-occupying lesion involving right IAC and cisternal segment with dural thickening.

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  Fig. 2 Histologic section from the excised specimen of the IAC mass showing poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (H&E, ×100).

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  Fig. 3 Result of the immunohistochemical staining for the IAC mass. (A) Positive immunostaing for CK-7. (B) Positive immunostaing for TTF-1. (C) Negative immunostaing for CK-20 (×200).

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