En bloc resection for squamous cell carcinoma of the temporal bone

From 1991 to 1996, four patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the middle ear have had total temporal bone resection at Kobe University Hospital. In three patients whose eustachian tube was presumably invaded by the tumor, eustachian tubes were removed totally with the temporal bones. In one of them, postoperative histopathological examination proved tumor invasion into the cartilagenous part of the tube. Although two patients died of distant metastasis or accidental heorrhage, two patients have been free of the disease for five years enjoining good quality of life. Based on our experience, we would like to emphasize the significance of total resection of the eustachian tube.