It is not uncommon for the general surgeon to see large parotid abscesses perforate through the external auditory canal. Much more rare, however, are instances of cervical adenitis in which the suppurating glands are situated in the upper triangle of the neck and in which the abscess perforates into the external auditory canal. Reports of such cases in the literature are infrequent. It is obvious that recognition of them and of their significance may be of great clinical importance to the otologist, particularly if there is profuse discharge, which not infrequently accompanies this condition. LITERATURE MacKenzie, 1a in 1913, noted a case of suppurative adenitis of the pterygoid region, with drainage via the external canal. Fulkerson 2 and Eves 3 discussed this entity and believed that there were three routes that pus could follow to reach the external auditory canal, namely, (a) through the fissures of Santorini, (b) through the