[Cholesteatoma of the external auditory canal]

Epidermal plugs of the external auditory canal were described initially by Toynbe in 1850, and since that time epidermal plugs and canal cholesteatomas have often been classified under the same heading. However, auditory canal cholesteatoma represents a separate clinical entity, although its pathogenicity remains unrecognized. Therapy may be medical or surgical, but a more eclectic therapeutic approach is to be preferred. Two recent cases of auditory canal cholesteatoma are reported.