BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The peak resonance corresponds to the fundamental frequency whose wavelength is approxi-mately four times the canal length and is between 2 and 3 kHz in a normal ear canal. The possibility that creation of an open cavity mastoid alters the acoustical characteristics of the external ear has been suggested. The aim of this study was to ascertain the acoustical changes in the external auditory canal occasioned by the open cavity mastoidectomy, and compare it with the mastoid obliteration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured the external ear resonance (EER) characteristics in 40 normal ears, 20 ears with open cavity mastoid and 40 ears with obliterated mastoids. The EER characteristics were measured using 6500 hearing aid test system. RESULTS: The means of the peak resonant frequency and the peak amplitude at open cavity mastoids (2350 Hz, 18.5 dB) showed significant differences (p<0.1) when compared with those at normal mastoids. However, the means at obliterated mastoids (2850 Hz, 20.5 dB) recovered to the near normal state. CONCLUSION: While the open cavity mastoidectomy can affect the resonance frequency, the mastoid obliteration may help anatomical reconstruction as well as acoustical recovery.
Acoustics* ; Ear ; Ear Canal ; Ear, External* ; Hearing Aids ; Mastoid

Foreign bodies of the external ear have been frequently encountered in the otolaryngological field. Recently, we experienced an interesting case of jugular bulb injury penetrating through the external auditory canal by an ear foreign body (woodswab), which was removed via mastoidectomy and facial recess approach. Immediately after removal of the foreign body, massive bleeding was followed and was controlled by SurgicelR packing and compression. Reporting this case, we suggest that special attention should be paid if the ear foreign body is associated with massive bleeding.
Ear ; Ear Canal ; Ear, External* ; Foreign Bodies* ; Hemorrhage

Dermoid cysts, also referred as "dysontogenetic cyst", are ectodermal cysts that contain epithelial linings as well as adnexal structures. They are divided into 3 categories : epidermoids, dermoids and teratoids. Although dermoid cysts represent a separate entity, the term "dermoid" is generally used to indicate all 3 categories. Dermoid cysts may occur in numerous areas of the body. However, dermoid cysts on the head and neck region are relatively rare. A few cases of dermoid cysts have been reported especially in the auriculotemporal area but not in the external auditory canal or preauricular area. We experienced 3 unusual cases of dermoid cysts occurring in the auriculotemporal area that includes external auditory canal, preauricular and postauricular area. Because of its location and rarity, we report these cases of dermoid cyst in the auriculotemporal area with a brief review of literatures.
Dermoid Cyst ; Ear Canal ; Ear, External ; Ectoderm ; Head ; Neck

Hidrocystomas, eccrine or apocrine are rare ductal cystic benign lesions of the sweat gland. These uncommon cystic lesions are extremely rare in the external ear. Here, we discuss the clinical features and management of eccrine hydrocystoma in the external ear by describing the clinical, radiographic, pathologic features and management of an external auditory canal eccrine hidrocystoma in a 73-year-old Korean man. To the best of our knowledge, this tumor has not been reported previously in this site. Five month after surgery, there has been no evidence of local recurrence.
Aged ; Ear Canal* ; Ear, External ; Hidrocystoma* ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Sweat Glands

Ceruminomas are rare tumors arising from the ceruminous gland, which is a modified apocrine gland in the skin of the external ear canal. There is controversy about these rare tumors regarding their histological classification, their origin and the importance of wide excision, and there is also terminological confusion for making the diagnosis. Ceruminous adenocarcinoma is a malignant subtype of ceruminoma. We report here on a case of adenocarcinoma of the ceruminous gland in a 71-year-old male patient.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Aged ; Apocrine Glands ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Ear Canal* ; Ear Neoplasms ; Ear, External* ; Humans ; Male ; Skin

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to isolate bacteria and fungi from healthy ear canal in Koreans and compare with known pathogens. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Specimens were collected from the external ear swab and cerumen of 45 healthy volunteers from February 2003 to May 2003. RESULTS: Forty-five subjects were cultured. In 8 subjects, we failed to obtain enough cerumen. Three canal and 11 cerumen showed no growth. Forty-two canal specimens yielded 72 microorganisms, of which 84.7% were gram positive bacteria. Twenty-six cerumen specimens yielded 43 microorganisms and 76.7% of them were gram positive. Staphylococci was 76.4% of canal bacteria and 74.4% of cerumen bacteria. In both canal and cerumen, the most commonly isolated microorganism was Staphylococcus capitis. Coryneform bacteria were 6.9% of bacteria in canal and were not isolated from cerumen. Two Aspergillus species and one Penicillium species were isolated from canal and cerumen. CONCLUSION: Coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CNS) were found to be the predominant microorganism and, in particular, Staphylococcus capitis was the most commonly isolated microorganism from the normal external auditory canal in Koreans.
Aspergillus ; Bacteria ; Cerumen ; Ear Canal* ; Ear* ; Ear, External ; Fungi ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; Healthy Volunteers ; Penicillium ; Staphylococcus

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cholesteatoma is a disease of the temporal bone, affecting the squamous epithelium and invading into the middle ear cavity. Retinoic acid (RA) is known to inhibit or accelerate the proliferation of normal keratinocytes depending on its concentration. This study was aimed at investigating the effects of different concentrations of RA on the proliferation of cultured keratinocytes from the external ear and cholesteatoma and whether the effect is different according to the origin of tissue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing tympanomastoid surgery for cholesteatoma were selected, and cholesteatoma matrix and skin were obtained from their middle ears and external ears, respectively. After culturing keratinocytes from the external ear and cholesteatoma, cells were cultured for 7 days in the medium 154 (Cascade, USA), and 10(-6)M RA or 10(-7)M RA was added twice every three days. The control group was cultured without the addition of RA. The absorbance was estimated at 490 using CellTiter 96(TM)AQ(ueous) Non-Radioactive Cell Proliferation Assay, nm and the survival fraction was calculated and compared with the control group. RESULTS: Proliferation of keratinocytes from the external ear and cholesteatoma was inhibited when the concentration of RA was 10-6 M and accelerated when the concentration of RA was 10(-7)M. The accelerated effect of retinoic acid on the proliferation of keratinocyte seems to be less prominent in the cholesteatoma tissue than in the skin of normal ear canal. CONCLUSION: Retinoic acid can inhibit or accelerate the proliferation of cholesteatoma keratinocytes dependining on its concentration.
Cell Proliferation ; Cholesteatoma* ; Ear Canal ; Ear, External* ; Ear, Middle ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Keratinocytes* ; Skin ; Temporal Bone ; Tretinoin*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: High-resolution computed tomography provides an excellent method for examination of the middle ear, inner ear anatomy and pathologic changes in the temporal bones. The purpose of this study was to get various measurements of the external auditory canal and temporal bones, and to compare the changes with age and sex. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The various measurements by CT of the external ear canal of normal 50 ears were done. RESULTS: The obtained results were as follows: 1) In both male and female group, the distance from the medial end of EAC to bony-cartilage junction, the distance from medial end of EAC to the lateral end of cartilage, the distance from the superior wall to the inferior wall (coronal EAC isthmus) and the distance from anterior wall to the posterior wall (axial EAC isthmus) increased significantly with age (p<0.05). 2) Compared with the female group, the male group had longer distance from the posterior tympanic plate to the sinus tympani with age (p<0.05). 3) Compared with male group, the female group had longer distance from the posterior EAC wall to the Sigmoid sinus and from the EAC superior wall to the tegmen tympani with age (p<0.05). 4) In both male and female groups, the anterior and inferior angles increased and the posterior and superior angles decreased with age (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Computed tomographic evaluation can give us to information to operate external ear, middle ear, and inner ear surgery.
Cartilage ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Ear ; Ear Canal* ; Ear, External ; Ear, Inner ; Ear, Middle ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Temporal Bone*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Middle ear effusion (MEE) is common in children, so the effects of the ventilation tube (VT) should be taken into account in prescribing hearing aids. With the ventilation tube, the external auditory canal communicates with the middle ear space, hence changing the impedance in the middle ear. This change, in turn, will have an effect on the external ear resonance (EER, real ear unaided response (REUR)). The aim of this study is to observe the effects of the tympanic membrane perforations caused by the ventilation tube on EER. MATERIAL AND METHODS:We selected 30 ears with MEE and measured EER before and after the ventilation tube insertion. We compared the EERs of the control group with the MEE group and two types of VT groups. RESULTS: In the subjects who had middle ear effusion, the average gain of the peak resonance was larger than that of the control group. After the VT insertion, the amplitude of the gain decreased to the level of control groups, although negative gain appeared in some cases characteristically around 1000 Hz. This negative gain was observed more frequently in the VT with larger diameter. CONCLUSION: The external ear resonance gain can be changed according to disease status or by VT insertion in patients with MEE. These changes should be considered especially in the low frequencies around 1000 Hz when prescribing the hearing aids for patients.
Child ; Ear ; Ear Canal ; Ear, External* ; Ear, Middle* ; Electric Impedance ; Hearing Aids ; Humans ; Otitis Media with Effusion* ; Tympanic Membrane ; Ventilation*

PURPOSE: The external ear is a common area of trauma on the body prone to exposure of ultraviolet light, which can lead to skin cancer. Thus, variable techniques have been developed and used for reconstruction of the external ear. The aim of this study is to review the surgical method, its area of application, as well as advantages and pitfalls of reconstruction of the external ear with inferior based retroauricular flaps. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight patients underwent external ear reconstruction with inferior based retroauricular flap for external ear defects in our institute from September 2012 to June 2015. According to the area of the defect, patients were classified as middle 1/3 (n=4), inferior 1/3 (n=2), superior auroculo-cephalic sulcus (n=1), and external auditory canal (n=1). RESULTS: All of the flaps survived the operation and there was no marginal necrosis. Mean size of the defect was 2.8×1.8 cm and mean size of the retroauricular flap was 5×2 cm. For insetting of the flap, a subcutaneous tunneling technique was used in 6 cases and rotation without subcutaneous tunneling was used in 2 cases. Transient paresthesia occurred in 3 cases. Two cases recovered within 3 months but one case did not recover until 6 months. CONCLUSION: The inferior based retroauricular flap is an available technique in external ear reconstruction with one stage operation.
Arteries* ; Ear Canal ; Ear, External ; Humans ; Methods ; Necrosis ; Paresthesia ; Skin Neoplasms ; Ultraviolet Rays