Severe hypertrichosis of the external ear canal during minoxidil therapy

Minoxidil is a potent peripheral vasodilator used to treat patients with severe hypertension that is unresponsive to other medications. Hypertrichosis of the forehead, face, neck, shoulders, upper part of the arms, and legs is a frequent side effect that occurs in the majority of patients that use this drug. This phenomenon appears to be due to increased blood flow to hair follicles, with resultant excessive hair growth. We describe a patient with severe hypertrichosis of the external ear canal resulting in chronic otitis externa and hearing loss.