Foreign body in the external auditory canal described as a pseudotumor of the middle ear: a case report

Abstract

Introduction. The aim of this article was to present a case of a foreign body in the external auditory canal described as a pseudotumor of the middle ear, as well as to point out diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of this problem. Case report. An 8-year-old girl was hospitalized several times in our department due to the surgery of left-sided chronic otitis media. Mastoidectomy and posterior atticotomy were performed during initial hospitalization. Six months later, she was admitted for the second act of the left-sided tympanoplasty. However, two months prior hospitalization, symptoms regarding the right ear appeared: sense of fullness, gradual hearing loss and occasional pain. An otoscopic finding on the right indicated the presence of “tumefaction” in the external auditory canal with a surface that was markedly hyperemic. This pseudotumor was finally interpreted as the foreign body in the external auditory canal. Conclusion. Foreign bodies in the external auditory canal (EAC) are relatively common in pediatric population. The medical history sometimes is not reliable, and the clinical and radiological interpretation of pseudotumor in the external auditory canal or middle ear must include this possibility in the differential diagnosis as well. Surgical exploration and pathohistological diagnosis are necessary to make a definitive diagnosis and to avoid potential complications.

Keywords

• external auditory canal
• pseudotumor
• foreign bodies
• tympanic cavity