Spongiotic osteoma in the external auditory canal: Two cases of a rare tumor

Abstract

Osteoma of the external auditory canal is a rare benign tumor with an estimated incidence of 0.05% of total otologic surgeries. In most cases, an osteoma in the external auditory canal does not cause symptoms because the tumor grows slowly and does not occlude the ear canal. However, if the mass grows to occlude the external auditory canal, several symptoms can occur, including conductive hearing loss, aural fullness, and keratin debris accumulation. We present two cases of this rare tumor in a 23-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man. The mass was surgically excised at the level of the peduncle under local anesthesia with microscope assistance. The base of the excised mass was drilled with a diamond burr to remove all osseous lesions. Histopathologic findings showed spongiotic osteomas. In these cases, patients had symptoms of aural fullness, although the osteomas did not completely occlude the external auditory canal, and the symptoms improved after surgical excision without recurrence.

Diagnosis and Management of Craniofacial Osteomas

“…59 Although rarely reported, osteomas of the external auditory canal and Eustachian tube of the temporal bone have presented with intermittent otalgia, 61 otorrhea, 61 overlying swelling of the mastoid bone, 62 progressive hearing loss, 21,63,64 and aural fullness. 21,65 Involvement of the paranasal sinuses (frontal, maxillary, ethmoid, and sphenoid) can lead to various symptoms depending on the occlusion of the sinus outflow tracts. The most common location for an osteoma to arise in the paranasal sinuses is the frontal sinus, which accounts for over 80% of paranasal sinus osteomas.…”

“…Large osteomas can also lead to asymmetry of the facial bones 59 . Although rarely reported, osteomas of the external auditory canal and Eustachian tube of the temporal bone have presented with intermittent otalgia, 61 otorrhea, 61 overlying swelling of the mastoid bone, 62 progressive hearing loss, 21,63,64 and aural fullness 21,65 …”

Osteoma de conducto auditivo externo

“…Encontramos un total de 18 publicaciones con reportes de osteoma localizado en el conducto auditivo externo, tres eran reportes de varios casos: 15 casos, 9 ocho casos 1 y dos casos. 10 Teniendo una serie de 41 casos de osteoma de conducto auditivo externo, incluyendo el caso que presentamos en este artículo (Tabla 1). Tomografía computarizada de hueso temporal derecho.…”

“…La principal complicación es el colesteatoma, secundario a la acumulación de detritus celulares y queratina medial al osteoma. 1,10,13 Existen otras complicaciones descritas en la literatura como absceso de cuello, absceso cerebelar, parálisis facial y meningitis. 2,11,14 Tomográficamente se observan como lesión única, hiperdensa, pediculada y con base de origen en una de las líneas de sutura del conducto.…”