ABSTRACT

Observation:

Ceruminous glands are tubuloalveolar apocrine glands in the external auditory meatus. A 42-year-old man presented with a three-month history of a painless mass at the right ear lobe. No history of trauma was noted. On physical examination, a non-ulcerated mass was seen on the external ear lobule. A complete local resection was performed. Histological examination showed a low-grade apocrine adenocarcinoma with occasional mitotic activity. Immunohistochemically, the tumor showed AE1-3, cytokeratine 7, S100, and GCDFP15 expression. Ceruminous adenocarcinomas are located in external auditory meatus. Few apocrine carcinomas were seen on the ear in previous studies, except in the external auditory canal. Apocrine and ceruminous adenocarcinomas possess glandular structure with evidence of apocrine differentiation. Localization, as in our case, is uncommon. Histological appearance resembled a ceruminous carcinoma. Although there is no apocrine gland at the ear lobule, because of the localization and histological appearance, it is better to designate such tumors as ceruminous adenocarcinomas.