Exostoses of the External Auditory Canal

Exostosis of the external ear canal is a disease unique to man. It has been identified in prehistoric man, affecting the aborigines of the North American continent. Aural exostoses are typically firm, sessile, multinodular bony masses which arise from the tympanic ring of the bony portion of the external auditory canal. These growths develop subsequent to prolonged irritation of the canal. The large, primitive jaw of prehistoric man placed great mechanical stress on the tympanic ring. Chronic aural suppuration seen in the preantibiotic era was soon followed by exostoses. Today, prolonged contact of the external ear canal with cold sea water is the most prevalent cause (aquatic theory). As a result the disease is now essentially limited to coastal regions. In this way we have seen exostoses appear in different stages of the evolution of man as a result of mechanical, chemical and now thermal irritation. The author is an otolaryngologist in a coastal region. In examining 11,000 patients during a ten-year period, 70 cases of symptomatic exostoses of the external auditory canal were identified. The incidence of exostoses was found to be 6.36 per 1,000 patients examined for otolaryngologic disease. It is a predominantly male disease. The development of these “irritation nodules” is painless until the tenth year of aquatic exposure to irritation, when symptoms of obstruction occur. The hearing loss associated with exostoses is usually a conductive type, secondary to occlusion of the canal by impacted cerumen or acute external otitis. The results of studying the thermal characteristics of the body of water used for such aquatic activities is presented.

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Prevalence of external auditory canal exostoses in Australian surfboard riders

The Journal of Laryngology & Otology ◽

10.1258/002221504323086525 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 118 (5) ◽

pp. 348-351 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

William Hurst ◽

Michael Bailey ◽

Benjamin Hurst

Keyword(s):

External Auditory Canal ◽

Cold Water ◽

Control Group ◽

External Ear ◽

Ear Canal ◽

External Ear Canal ◽

Rate Of Growth

This paper assessed 300 surfboard riders, comprising 229 males and 71 females to determine the prevalence and rate of growth of exostoses in this population. A group of cold water swimmers and a control group were also examined. Significant obstruction, defined as two thirds or more occlusion of the ear canal was noted in 90 of the male surfers and 10 female surfers. This degree of occlusion was found in seven of the 32 cold water swimmers. A male surfer who has surfed regularly for 20 years or more has a one in two chance of developing significant obstruction of the external ear canal resulting from exostoses and this is a three in seven chance for females.

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Ectopic thyroid tissue presenting as an external auditory canal mass

International Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery ◽

10.18203/issn.2454-5929.ijohns20190066 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 476

Author(s):

Nishikanta Verma ◽

Samuel Devanesan Abishegam ◽

Abdul Razak Bin Haji Ahmad

Keyword(s):

Thyroid Gland ◽

Thyroid Tissue ◽

The Body ◽

Ectopic Thyroid ◽

Thyroid Function Tests ◽

External Ear ◽

Ear Canal ◽

Developmental Defects ◽

External Ear Canal ◽

Ectopic Thyroid Tissue

<p class="abstract">An ectopic thyroid is a rare occurrence with a majority of ectopic thyroid tissue located in the lingual region or in the midline. The abnormal sites represent developmental defects in migration from the floor of the primitive foregut at the foramen caecum of the tongue to the final pre-tracheal position of the gland. A few cases of ectopic thyroid tissue have also been reported from sites seemingly unrelated to the normal development of the thyroid gland. We report a case of ectopic thyroid in the external ear canal, which presented as a small reddish mass in the external ear canal. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such reported case in literature and adds to the body of knowledge in such cases. Although such a finding is exceedingly rare, the authors recommend routine histopathology in all cases of polyps in the external canal and standard investigation for the status of the residual thyroid gland via isotope scans, ultrasonography or thyroid function tests.</p>

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Management of External Ear Canal Diseases

Otolaryngology ◽

10.1016/s0194-5998(05)80209-8 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 112 (5) ◽

pp. P89-P89

Author(s):

Frank E. Lucente ◽

Simon C. Parisier ◽

Donald B. Kamerer ◽

Dennis I. Bojrab ◽

Mark Levenson

Keyword(s):

External Auditory Canal ◽

External Ear ◽

Ear Canal ◽

Educational Objectives ◽

External Ear Canal

Educational objectives: To understand rationale for management of infections and inflammations of the external auditory canal and to prescribe appropriate primary and secondary therapy for infections of the external auditory canal.

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Operative management of external auditory canal cholesteatoma: case series and literature review

The Journal of Laryngology & Otology ◽

10.1017/s0022215113001850 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 127 (9) ◽

pp. 859-866 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

M Sayles ◽

H A Kamel ◽

F F Fahmy

Keyword(s):

External Auditory Canal ◽

Case Series ◽

Operative Management ◽

External Ear ◽

Ear Canal ◽

Female Ratio ◽

External Ear Canal ◽

Temporal Bones ◽

External Auditory Canal Cholesteatoma ◽

Male To Female

AbstractObjectives:To describe the clinical features of external auditory canal cholesteatoma, and to assess the outcome following bony meatoplasty with tragal cartilage and perichondrium graft repair.Methods:A retrospective review was carried out, comprising all patients with external auditory canal cholesteatoma who presented between January 2007 and December 2011. Patients underwent pre-operative audiometry and computed tomography imaging of the temporal bones, before undergoing bony meatoplasty via a postauricular incision. Pre- and post-operative comparisons were made of patients' otological symptoms and the otoscopic appearance of the external ear canal.Results and conclusion:Eight patients were included in the analyses. The median age of patients was 46.5 years (range 14–68 years), with a male to female ratio of 1:1. The median length of follow up was 16 months. The most common presenting features were unilateral otalgia and purulent otorrhoea. All patients had relatively advanced disease at presentation, with erosion of the temporal bone. All patients underwent bony meatoplasty via a postauricular approach to eradicate the disease. Bony meatoplasty was successful in the definitive management of external ear canal cholesteatoma.

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Recurrent nodular fasciitis of the external auditory canal: an intriguing diagnosis

International Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery ◽

10.18203/issn.2454-5929.ijohns20192743 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 1118

Author(s):

Ronald Anto ◽

Raghunandhan Sampathkumar ◽

Mohan Kameswaran

Keyword(s):

External Auditory Canal ◽

Clinical Profile ◽

Nodular Fasciitis ◽

External Ear ◽

Ear Canal ◽

External Ear Canal ◽

Malignant Lesions

<p class="abstract">The external auditory canal can sometimes present with unique pathology since it is a vibrant environment possessing a variety of anaomical structures including bone, cartilage, skin, ceruminous glands and fibro-collagen tissues. Nodular fasciitis is an intriguing entity which rarely presents in the external ear canal as a growth. The diagnosis is made only through histopathological confirmation after ruling out similar benign or malignant lesions including ceruminoma, granuloma or carcinoma. Fasciitis being of fibrous origin has propensity to recur wherein management becomes more challenging. This is a clinical profile of a case of recurrent nodular fasciitis which was surgically managed and followed up with no further recurrence.</p>

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A Case of Ceruminous Adenocarcinoma Not Otherwise Specified (NOS) in the External Auditory Canal

Ear Nose & Throat Journal ◽

10.1177/0145561320954128 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 014556132095412

Author(s):

Kento Wada ◽

Takeshi Tsuda ◽

Yukiko Hanada ◽

Kiyoshi Mori ◽

Hiroshi Nishimura

Keyword(s):

External Auditory Canal ◽

Neck Region ◽

Benign Tumors ◽

External Ear ◽

Ear Canal ◽

Initial Examination ◽

Head And Neck Region ◽

External Ear Canal ◽

Not Otherwise Specified ◽

Specific Symptoms

External auditory canal cancer is a rare disease which can be treated by surgery or chemoradiation. The most common histological type is squamous cell carcinoma, but rare types such as adenocarcinoma have been reported and are thought to be derived from the ceruminous glands. Here, we present a case of ceruminous adenocarcinoma, not otherwise specified (NOS) in the external auditory canal. A 72-year-old woman was referred to our department with discomfort due to a mass in the external ear canal. No typical symptoms of malignancy, such as pain or bleeding, were noted at the initial examination. The patient underwent a total excision under local anesthesia as a diagnostic treatment. She was diagnosed with ceruminous adenocarcinoma, NOS based on the results of immunostaining of the excised specimen, and is currently being followed up as an outpatient. Adenocarcinoma is thought to originate from the cerumen glands of the ear canal and the lack of specific symptoms may make it difficult to differentiate it from benign tumors. Although adenocarcinoma, NOS has been reported in the head and neck region, there have been no reported cases occurring in the external ear canal, and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report.

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Recurrent Pleomorphic Adenoma of the Parotid Gland Involving the Osseous External Auditory Canal with a Note on the Foramen of Huschke

Annals of Otology Rhinology & Laryngology ◽

10.1177/000348949710600711 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 106 (7) ◽

pp. 589-593 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

C. Rose Rabinov ◽

Sassan Alavi ◽

Rinaldo F. Canalis ◽

Edwin J. Lee

Keyword(s):

Parotid Gland ◽

Pleomorphic Adenoma ◽

External Auditory Canal ◽

External Ear ◽

Ear Canal ◽

Tumor Extension ◽

External Ear Canal ◽

Developmental Features ◽

Foramen Of Huschke ◽

Recurrent Pleomorphic Adenoma

A recurrence of a parotid pleomorphic adenoma presenting as an external ear canal mass is reported. The route of extension was radiographically documented as an incompletely closed foramen of Huschke. The historical and developmental features of this foramen and the mechanisms of tumor extension as they relate to it are discussed.

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Posterior canal wall reconstruction with a composite cartilage titanium mesh graft in canal wall down tympanoplasty and revision surgery for radical cavities

The Journal of Laryngology & Otology ◽

10.1017/s0022215106001927 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 120 (10) ◽

pp. 832-836 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

H Sudhoff ◽

D Brors ◽

A Al-Lawati ◽

E Gimenez ◽

S Dazert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

External Auditory Canal ◽

Revision Surgery ◽

External Ear ◽

Titanium Mesh ◽

Canal Wall ◽

Ear Canal ◽

Mesh Graft ◽

External Ear Canal ◽

Canal Wall Down ◽

Canal Wall Reconstruction

Objectives: To investigate posterior external ear canal wall reconstruction with a composite cartilage titanium mesh graft in canal wall down tympanoplasty and revision surgery for open mastoids.Study design: Retrospective case review.Setting: Tertiary referral centre.Methods: As a preliminary study, 15 selected patients underwent reconstruction of a posterior ear canal wall defect with titanium mesh. Large defects of the posterior external auditory canal wall, resulting from canal wall down tympanoplasty or present in revision surgery, were eliminated by reconstruction using a titanium mesh. The mesh was covered with conchal cartilage and attached to the cortical mastoid bone using 3-mm titanium screws.Results: All patients maintained a normal contour of the external ear canal, without depression, extrusion or infection. There were no failures, based on short-term post-operative controls. However, two procedures had to be revised due to incomplete coverage of the titanium mesh.Conclusions: This study shows that reconstruction of the posterior ear canal wall with a composite cartilage titanium mesh is a valuable method for preserving the morphology of the external auditory canal in selected cases. Problems occurring in canal wall down tympanomastoidectomy and radical cavities may therefore be avoided. However, long-term results have yet to be evaluated.

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