Mucosal melanoma of the middle ear cavity and Eustachian tube: a case report, literature review, and focus on surgical technique

To present a case of mucosal melanoma of the Eustachian tube with a focus on surgical technique and to review the literature on treatment of mucosal melanoma of the head and neck, and review cases involving the middle ear and/or Eustachian tube. A 67-year-old man was diagnosed with mucosal melanoma of the middle ear and Eustachian tube. The patient underwent primary surgical resection including transtemporal/transpetrosal approach, endoscopic nasopharyngectomy, infratemporal fossa dissection, temporomandibular joint resection, ipsilateral neck dissection (levels II-IV), and superficial parotidectomy. The patient was discharged on postoperative Day 7 with a very good functional status. He did have early dysphagia and dysarthria as a result of the VII to XII anastomosis for facial nerve reconstruction, which did require PEG tube placement. However, at 4 months after surgery, the patient was eating solid foods and returning to normal activities. He received radiation therapy postoperatively. There has been no evidence of tumor recurrence at 8 months after treatment. The standard treatment of head and neck mucosal melanoma is primarily surgical. Surgical removal of mucosal melanoma in the Eustachian tube/middle ear can present challenges in achieving microscopically negative margins. However, gross tumor resection with postoperative radiotherapy has been shown to improve locoregional control.