[Polyps of the external auditory canal and cholesteatoma]

A retrospective study of 50 patients with an aural polyp located in the external auditory canal was made. Our main objective was to identify predictive factors for underlying cholesteatoma, as well as to determine our management strategy for aural polyps. We analyzed the most important findings of otological imaging, hearing loss, radiological examination, and medical or surgical treatment. The anatomopathological examination in some cases showed a rare pathology that should be considered in our diagnostic evaluation. The presence of cholesteatoma underlying the polyp in 52% of cases indicates the importance of the polyp location and radiological signs as predictive factors for the diagnosis of cholesteatoma.