Glomangioma (true glomus tumour) is a benign perivascular neoplasm that rarely arises in the head or neck. A man in his 70s presented with long-standing, unilateral, serous otorrhoea, progressive hearing loss and intermittent tinnitus. Otoscopy revealed a soft-tissue mass completely occluding the external auditory canal....
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Glomangioma should be included in the differential diagnosis for unilateral serous ear discharge and progressive conductive hearing loss in older adults, but this single case report does not support any change in routine clinical practice.
Primary glomangiomas of the external auditory canal are exceedingly rare; this case expands clinicians' awareness of unusual vascular tumours that can mimic more common ear pathologies.
- 01Glomangioma is a benign vascular tumour; primary occurrence in the external auditory canal is extremely rare.
- 02Patient presented with unilateral serous otorrhoea (ear discharge) and progressive hearing loss.
- 03Tumour extended from the ear canal into the middle ear and mastoid bone.
- 04Case is published as a BMJ Case Report, representing one of very few documented examples globally.
- 05Awareness of this entity may prevent misdiagnosis as more common ear canal lesions.
Primary glomangioma of the external auditory canal extending to the middle ear and mastoid is an extremely rare entity.
studysupportedThe patient presented with unilateral serous otorrhoea and progressive hearing loss.
studysupported- PMID
- 42508957
- DOI
- 10.1136/bcr-2026-273044.
- Journal
- BMJ Case Reports
- Publication type
- case_report
- Evidence level
- 4
- Sample size
- 1
- Population
- Single male patient in his 70s presenting with unilateral serous otorrhoea and progressive hearing loss
- Intervention
- Diagnosis and characterisation of primary glomangioma of the external auditory canal
Primary outcomes
Clinical and pathological characterisation of a primary glomangioma extending to the middle ear and mastoid