[Clinical study of 26 patients with osteoma in the external].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the experience of diagnosis and treatment on osteoma in the external auditory canal.

METHOD: Retrospective study were undertaken in 26 patients with osteoma in the external auditory canal operated in author's unit.

RESULT: Osteomas were removed through interauricular approach in all patients and confirmed by histopathological examination. The hearing of 22 patients with conductive hearing loss became normal after operation. The air conduction hearing threshold in 2 patients with mixed hearing loss improved average 15 dB and 20 dB respectively after operation. The follow up was more than 1 year, and no recurrence or complications had occurred.

CONCLUSION: Osteoma in the external auditory canal is an uncommon benign lesion. The method of choice in diagnosis is temporal bone CT scan. Osteoma must be distinguished from exostosis in the external auditory canal. Osteoma is confirmed by pathological diagnosis and surgery is the only method for treatment.