External Ear Canal Exostosis and Aquatic Sports

Abstract

Many reports suppose that the development of aural exostosis depends on the action of an irritative stimulus like frequent and repeated cold water contact. This survey studies the incidence of this lesion in a group of 433 athletes practicing aquatic sports on a highly competitive level. Among these, water activities like sailing and deep-sea diving, which up to now were never considered, were also studied. 32 exostoses were found to affect 12 subjects monolaterally and 20 subjects bilaterally. Not one of a control group of 476 athletes was found to be affected by aural exostosis. For each athlete in this study the following parameters are considered: age and sex, type of sport, total amount of hours spent in water contact, aural pathology history and otoscopic findings. The authors suggest the existence of facilitating factors other than total water contact time, as shown by the absence of a precise correlation between this parameter and the presence of the aural hyperostotic lesion.

Novas perspectivas na reconstituição do modo de vida dos sambaquieiros

“…Exostoses são excrescências ósse-as no canal auditivo externo atribuí-das a um efeito cumulativo de contato freqüente com águas frias durante mergulho, pesca, nado e surfe (Fabiani et al, 1984).…”

Auditory exostoses among the prepottery neolithic inhabitants of Çayönü and Aşıklı, Anatolia; its relation to aquatic activities

“…Clinical results, along with research carried out on living and archeological samples, suggest that multiple temperature stressors may place individuals at risk for auditory exostoses (King et al, 2010;Deleyiannis et al, 1996;Hutchinson et al, 1997;Katayama, 1998;Fabiani et al, 1984;Timofeev et al, 2004;Kennedy, 1986;Okumura et al, 2007;Sheard and Doherty, 2008). Katayama (1998), for example, proposed a "thermal aquatic hypothesis".…”

On the prevalence of external auditory exostoses among the proto-neolithicHomo sapiens population of Shanidar Cave, Iraq

“…The growths are considered an acquired auditory disorder associated with prolonged or repeated exposure to cold aquatic activities such as diving (Fabiani, Barbara, and Filipo, 1984;Karegeannes, 1995), surfing (Deleyiannis, Cockcroft, and Pinczower, 1996;DiBartolomeo, 1979;Seftel, 1977) or swimming (Harrison, 1951). The temperature and duration of exposure to water appear to be the causative factors for exostoses formation.…”

“…Several studies suggest that the development of exostoses is associated with exposure of the ear to water temperatures below 19 C (Kennedy, 1986;Sakalinskas and Jankauskas, 1993;Van Gilse, 1938). In addition, a higher incidence of exostoses has been noted with more frequent exposures to cold water temperatures (DiBartolomeo, 1979;Fabiani and Filipo, 1984;Fowler and Osmun, 1942;Harrison, 1951;Seftel, 1977).…”