Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol.  2011 Jun;4(2):109-111.

Cavernous Hemangioma of the Tympanic Membrane

• Jang CH
• Choi HS
• Hong YS
• Cho YB

Abstract

Cavernous hemangioma seems to most frequently arise in the posterior portion of the external auditory canal. However, they rarely occur in the tympanic membrane. A 49-year-old male patient was referred for evaluation of right-sided pulsatile tinnitus that he'd experienced for the previous 2 years. Temporal bone computerized tomography showed an isolated soft tissue mass just lateral to the tympanic membrane. There was no evidence of bony erosion or middle ear invasion. The patient underwent excision of the mass using a postauricular approach. The mass was removed en bloc and the defect of the tympanic membrane was repaired by tympanoplasty type I. There was no recurrence after 1 year of follow-up.

Keyword

Cavernous hemangioma; Tympanic membrane

MeSH Terms

Caves
Ear Canal
Ear, Middle
Follow-Up Studies
Hemangioma, Cavernous
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Recurrence
Temporal Bone
Tinnitus
Tympanic Membrane
Tympanoplasty

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Endoscopic examination shows a red-colored soft non-pulsatile mass that occupies of the tympanic membrane.

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  Fig. 2 An audiogram showed high frequency mild sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear at 3,000-8,000 Hz.

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  Fig. 3 Coronal temporal bone computerized tomography without contrast shows an isolated soft tissue mass limited to the tympanic membrane without middle ear invasion.

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  Fig. 4 After the elevation of the tympanomeatal flap, the mass of the tympanic membrane is noted (A). The mass was removed en bloc. The size of the surgical specimen was 0.8×0.5 cm (B).

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  Fig. 5 Pathologic examination of the specimen shows a typical cavernous hemangioma. It is a well-demarcated nodular lesion that is composed of dilated vascular spaces lined with a single layer of flat endothelial cells (arrows indicate the endothelial cells) (H&E, ×200)

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