What is it about ?
Like anywhere in the body, tumors can also grow in the external ear canal. The external auditory canal consists of the pinna and the small passage inside to the eardrum. But middle ear tumors can also grow through the eardrum and appear in the ear canal. They can be benign or malignant.
Most tumors are benign:
- a exostosis is a growth of bone tissue near the eardrum. It often occurs in surfers, due to the continuous stimulation of the bone surface by cold water. Usually there are multiple exostoses in both ears.
- a osteoma occurs much less frequently; it is a benign tumor of the bone that looks like a small fungus with a peduncle, but usually in one ear.
- a cholesteatoma is rare. It usually develops from the middle ear through the eardrum (perforation of the eardrum) outward. It is an accumulation of desquamated cells in the ear canal. Cholesteatoma looks like a plug of earwax, but it is partly light in color and has a pearly appearance. It can affect structures in the middle ear.
Malignant tumors are very rare. Usually, these are tumors of the skin of the ear canal.
How to recognize them?
Benign tumors cause few complaints. Sometimes an exostosis can be felt as a hard protrusion under healthy skin. If the tumor (and earwax or skin residue) is blocking the ear canal, the person can hear less well or may even be deaf on one side. The pressure can hurt in the ear. Sometimes a cholesteatoma is accompanied by dizziness and paralysis on one side of the face.
Malignant tumors can cause ear pain and inflammation of the outer ear. The ear may also be more likely to develop otitis media, which often becomes chronic and causes pain and discharge in the ear.
How is the diagnosis made?
The doctor will usually make the diagnosis on the basis of a simple examination of the ear done with an otoscope (a device that allows you to look into the ear). In case of repeated otitis media, with permanent hearing loss, the doctor will think of a cholesteatoma. An otoscope can recognize a cholesteatoma by the white mass behind the eardrum (retracted).
Early diagnosis is important, especially in children, as the condition can delay the development of speech and language. In case of hearing loss, a hearing test should be performed. If the doctor suspects a cholesteatoma or malignant tumor, he or she may order an MRI or CT scan. The analysis of a piece of tissue (biopsy) makes it possible to clarify the diagnosis.
What can you do ?
It is advisable to consult the doctor in case of ear complaints. Do not try to pry the ear with a cotton swab as you will push the earwax deeper inward. Above all, do not rinse the ear with water, as the eardrum can be damaged and water can enter the middle ear.
What can your doctor do?
It is only when they cause symptoms that an exostosis and an osteoma should be treated. They will be removed during a small surgical operation.
In the event of cholesteatoma, the ear canal should be carefully cleaned under a microscope. Often an operation is necessary.
A malignant tumor must also be surgically removed. If the eardrum is affected, it should be repaired surgically.
Want to know more?
- Ear (image) – Larousse
- Exostosis of the external auditory canal, here, Where to find on this page of Cliniques St Luc UCL
- Cholesteatoma, here, Where to find on this page of Cliniques St Luc UCL
Source