Trichogranuloma of the external auditory canal mimicking aural polyp: A rare case report

Abstract

We report a case of an 18-year-old male who presented to us with complaints of decreased hearing, ear discharge, and fullness in the right ear for last 2 months. Examination revealed a swelling of 0.5 cm × 0.5 cm in the inferior part of the external acoustic canal, tympanic membrane was found to be normal. Patient was advised antibiotic and steroids ear drops after making a provisional diagnosis of aural polyp. Surgical excision of the swelling was done when conservative treatment was unsuccessful. The excised polyp was sent for histopathological examination which revealed presence of foreign body giant cells and mixed inflammatory infiltrate around the fragments of hair shafts which confirmed the diagnosis of trichogranuloma in the external auditory canal. Owing to the rarity of such location of trichogranuloma, this case is being reported here.

Keywords

• Ear canal
• polyp
• trichogranuloma