Advancing Cholesteatoma Secondary to Acquired Atresia of the External Auditory Canal: Clinical Perspectives
Acquired atresia of External Auditory Canal (EAC) is seldom encountered in routine otolaryngology practice. Apart from resulting in moderate-to-severe conductive hearing impairment, it is a potentially dreaded condition which might lead to canal cholesteatoma. Suspected to develop as a consequence...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited
2017-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/10385/29458_CE(RA1)_F(SS)_(PF1)_(PG_KM_PY)_PFA(PG_SS).pdf |
| Summary: | Acquired atresia of External Auditory Canal (EAC) is seldom encountered in routine otolaryngology practice. Apart from resulting in
moderate-to-severe conductive hearing impairment, it is a potentially dreaded condition which might lead to canal cholesteatoma.
Suspected to develop as a consequence of a pre-existing chronic otitis externa/media, the EAC atresia leads to proximal (medial)
accumulation of desquamated epithelium and denatured keratin (the canal cholesteatoma) that further leads to aggravation of
the chronic otitis, thereby initiating a vicious cycle. The canal cholesteatoma might progress unhindered into the middle ear and
mastoid cavity, with its characteristic bone-eroding property, producing complications. A high index of clinical suspicion along with
proper imaging are therefore essential to apprehend the disease progression in a patient presenting with an apparently innocuous
EAC stenosis/atresia. In this report, we illustrate the clinical details of a young girl with unilateral acquired EAC atresia where canal
cholesteatoma had turned extensive, invaded the middle ear cleft, and produced a post-aural fistula, thereby establishing one of
the extreme outcomes of chronic otitis. |
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| ISSN: | 2249-782X 0973-709X |