Osteomas of the External Auditory Canal – Report of Three Cases

Abstract

Osteomas of the external auditory canal are benign abnormal growth of bone which develops as semi-spherical or pedunculated masses beneath the skin of the canal and can often cause obstruction. Osteomas occur in the external auditory canal in two forms; multiple compact osteomas or so called “exostosis” and single cancellous osteomas. Exostoses, the most commonly encountered tumors of the external auditory canal, are usually bilateral and occur mostly in male cold water swimmers. They appear as smooth rounded nodules consisting of extremely hard bone covered with normal skin and attached by a broad base to the medial portion of the osseous external auditory canal. Usually they are asymptomatic and only require surgical excision if they become symptomatic. Single cancellous osteomas, unlike exostosis, are a relatively rare lesion in the external auditory canal. They are benign single pedunculated bony tumors near the lateral end of the bony portion. Hearing loss, discomfort, otorrhea, earache, and headache are common symptoms. If not treated, they eventually occlude the meatus so surgical removal should be advised in every case. Two cases of exostoses and one case of cancellous osteoma of the external auditory canal were reported. The surgical approaches were discussed.