External auditory canal osteoma

Osteoma is a very serious disease. It can occur in any part of the body. The ear is a relatively fragile place and is prone to bone tumors. Osteomas on the ear are divided into external auditory canal osteomas and internal auditory canal osteomas. However, external auditory canal osteomas are more serious. They are caused by local nodules in the ear bones. If you suffer from external auditory canal osteomas, your hearing will be greatly affected. You will often feel a buzzing sound in your ears and cannot hear clearly. The following is a detailed introduction to external auditory canal osteoma.

Osteomas of the ear may occur in the external auditory canal, tympanic cavity, mastoid process, or squamous part of the temporal bone. External auditory canal exosteoma is a nodular protrusion formed by localized excessive proliferation of bone in the bony wall of the external auditory canal. It is a benign tumor and includes multiple dense bone tumors (exosteomas) and single cancellous osteoma, the latter of which is extremely rare. External auditory canal exosteoma is one of the most common benign tumors in the external auditory canal and is more common in young and middle-aged men. It is often bilateral and often multiple.

Small osteomas may not cause any symptoms and are often discovered accidentally during an ear examination. When the volume increases, the external auditory canal may become narrower, causing hearing loss, or due to the combination of cerumen lumps, cholesteatoma formation, etc., the external auditory canal may be blocked, causing a feeling of occlusion or even infection, resulting in pain, pus discharge, etc.

The diagnosis is not difficult based on the medical history and local findings. If a nodular or semicircular protrusion is found deep in the external auditory canal that is hard to the touch, exosteoma should be considered first. CT examination can determine the location and size of the bone tumor, as well as whether the tympanic cavity and mastoid are affected.

Otoscopic examination revealed a round, smooth, hard nodule in the bony part of the external auditory canal with a broad base and covered by normal epithelium. X-rays of the skull base or temporal bone CT scans show bony external auditory canal stenosis, with a semicircular shadow that is completely consistent with or similar to the bone density.

Small, asymptomatic bone tumors do not require treatment. If the tumor enlargement causes hearing loss, pain, or infection of the outer ear or middle ear, surgical resection and reconstruction of the external auditory canal can be performed. The surgery can be done through an incision in the ear, separating and lifting the skin and periosteum on the surface of the osteoma, carefully grinding them off with a high-frequency electric drill or chiseling them off with a bone chisel. If necessary, part of the external auditory canal bone wall can be ground off to reduce recurrence and avoid stenosis of the external auditory canal.