title: Foreign body granuloma of the external auditory canal.
abstract: External auditory canal polyps are most commonly inflammatory in nature but may also manifest more severe disease. Prolonged conservative therapy may delay the correct diagnosis and appropriate intervention. A case is presented of a child with chronic otorrhea treated for 4 months with topical drops and antibiotics. On referral, a large external auditory canal polyp was confirmed to represent a foreign body granuloma covering a large electrical cap, with erosion approaching the facial nerve. External auditory canal polyps that fail to respond promptly to conservative medical therapy warrant a computed tomography scan and surgical exploration with biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Stephen F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Conley
authors.forename: Joseph E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kerschner
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002781:Cholesteatoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000175:diagnosis; D011127:Polyps / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed