Acquired atresia of the external auditory canal: long-term clinical and audiometric results after surgery.

Objective: Acquired atresia of the external auditory canal is a rare condition in which the medial part of the external auditory canal is obliterated by a soft fibrous plug, mostly as a result of chronic inflammation of the outer ear canal. In this study, the clinical and audiometric long-term postsurgical results were assessed.

Patients: Records of patients with acquired atresia, surgically treated in a tertiary referral center during the period 2000-2009, were retrospectively reviewed.