To describe patient-level hearing and symptom outcomes after exclusive transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) for early-stage middle ear paragangliomas.
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
TEES appears viable for early-stage middle ear paragangliomas, but as a retrospective study without a comparative group, it is insufficient to change established surgical protocols; surgeons should weigh findings alongside existing evidence.
If confirmed in prospective controlled studies, exclusive TEES for early-stage middle ear paragangliomas could reduce surgical morbidity and preserve hearing compared with traditional open approaches.
- 01Retrospective design evaluating TEES for early-stage middle ear paragangliomas published in Acta Otolaryngologica.
- 02Outcomes assessed include post-operative hearing levels and symptom resolution.
- 03Transcanal endoscopic approach avoids external incisions, potentially reducing recovery time.
- 04No comparative (open surgery) control group limits strength of conclusions.
- 05Results may inform candidate selection criteria for endoscopic management of glomus tympanicum tumors.
Exclusive transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) can achieve excision of early-stage middle ear paragangliomas with measurable hearing and symptom outcomes.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42764285
- DOI
- 10.1080/00016489.2026.2726025.
- Journal
- Acta Otolaryngologica
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 4
- Population
- Patients with early-stage middle ear paragangliomas undergoing transcanal endoscopic ear surgery
- Intervention
- Transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) for middle ear paraganglioma excision
Primary outcomes
Post-operative hearing outcomes; Symptom resolution following surgical excision