RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Temporal bone metastasis as a sign of relapsing chronic lymphocytic leukemia
JF Saudi Medical Journal
JO Saudi Med J
FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City
SP 1233
OP 1235
DO 10.15537/smj.2015.10.12259
VO 36
IS 10
A1 Hadeel M. Aljafar
A1 Sari S. Alsuhibani
A1 Mohammad S. Alahmari
A1 Musaed A. Alzahrani
YR 2015
UL http://smj.org.sa/content/36/10/1233.abstract
AB Otologic manifestations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are common presentations. However, temporal bone metastasis is rarely described as a sign of relapsing CLL. A 65-year-old male diabetic patient known to have CLL on remission presented to the outpatient otolaryngology clinic with a one month history of progressive bilateral otalgia and right otorrhea, despite multiple courses of antibiotics. He was admitted with suspicion of malignant otitis externa. Left ear showed large hemorrhagic bullae on the posterior segment of tympanic membrane. Left sided facial paralysis developed on the third day of admission. Full recovery of facial paralysis is achieved by 10 days course of corticotherapy. Histological examination of middle ear tissue biopsy showed infiltration by monotonous small lymphoid cells, showing round nuclei, condensed chromatin suggestive of CLL. Although rare, unusual otologic manifestations should raise the suspicion of a temporal bone metastasis as a sign of relapsing CLL.