Post-inflammatory acquired atresia of the external auditory canal

Acquired atresia of the external auditory canal (EAC) is a rare cause of conductive hearing loss. It has been traditionally classified into 4 categories: traumatic, post-operative, neoplastic and inflammatory. Post-inflammatory acquired auditory canal atresia is thought to be the result of chronic and repetitive infectious bouts affecting the auditory canal. Nevertheless, the underlying pathophysiology of this disorder is yet to be fully elucidated. Current data fail to clearly state the impact that certain underlying systemic disorders may have on the EAC. The possible association to metabolic disturbances such as iron deficiency is also emphasized. In the light of these findings, this analysis can be used to improve the classification of this entity thereby standardizing the assessment of therapeutic approaches.