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.