Diseases Of The External Auditory Canal - I

• Cause: Failure of canalization of the external auditory canal.
• Clinical picture: Unilateral or bilateral completely narrowed or absent external canal or appears as a blind pit. It may be associated with microtia.

• Investigations:

  1. CT scan: to assess the condition of the middle and inner ears.

  2. Audiological evaluation of the type and degree of the conductive hearing loss.

• Treatment:

1. Auditory rehabilitation for infants with bilateral atresia.

2. Surgical reconstruction of the external canal, if the inner ear proved to have normal structure by CT scan and normal function by audiological evaluation

• Bilateral atresia: at the age of 5 years.

• Unilateral atresia: after puberty.

Category: ENT Notes