Introduction:
The frequency of temporal bone malignancies is extremely low.(1) The two
most common types are squamous cell carcinoma and adenoid cystic
carcinoma. A lack of research has hindered the development of suitable
treatment guidelines. According to the literature, margin-negative and
en bloc resection are gold standards for treatment. Unless the tumour
extends directly to the auricle, preserving the auricular is important
for en bloc temporal bone resection to maintain quality of life among
patients. Unfortunately, few reports investigate auricular complications
during en bloc temporal bone resection. (2)
En bloc resection of the temporal bone involves two common procedures:
lateral temporal bone resection (LTBR) and subtotal temporal bone
resection (STBR). Surgeons assess T and N stages to combine procedures,
including parotidectomy, neck dissection, and mandibular condylectomy.
Extensive temporal bone resection, i.e. STBR and LTBR combined with
parotidectomy, sacrifices blood flow of the auricle. However, auricular
complications following en bloc temporal bone resection remain unclear.
Auricular complications lead to additional surgical procedures, such
as debridement and delayed adjuvant therapy. Further, auriculectomy has
significant psychological and cosmetic impacts on the individual,
resulting in poorer quality of life. Therefore, preserving the auricle
is important for en bloc temporal bone resection.
In this study, we examined the vascular anatomy of the auricle in
cadavers and retrospectively investigated auricular complications in en
bloc temporal bone resection preserving the auricle to reveal the risks
with vascular insufficiency in the auricle.