Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 7/11/2005

Question
My 21 year old cat was given an ultrasound today on a large growth behind her ear.  The Vet suspects it is a tumor in her ear canal, and probably malignant, but is not certain.  This mass just appeared 4 days ago, but Kitty has had chronic ear infections (bacterial and yeast) for about three years.  Because of her age and heart, my Vet does not recommend surgery.  Are there other conditions which might cause this type of growth? On July 1, the Vet cleaned Kitty's ears and dislodged what they thought was part of a tumor.  It was sent for analysis, and the results showed that it was not a tumor, but only tissue from the ear.  Would an infection in Kitty's ear cause tissue to be dislodged?  What other conditions might cause these symptoms?
Thank you very much, Susan Anderson  

Answer
This could be a tumor or it could be a polyp, which looks like a tumor.  The only way to know is to take a biopsy of it and send it off.  I often remove ear masses with a laser inside the ear canal.  You might check to see if a vet in your area has one.