Bilateral atresia of the external acoustic meatus: a case report

Abstract

Bilateral atresia of the external acoustic meatus is a rare condition. It is a subtype of congenital aural atresia, which comprisesa spectrum of developmental ear abnormalities. In this case report, we present the computed tomography (CT) findingsof a patient with this congenital anomaly and emphasize the importance of the findings with regard to treatmentoptions. CT revealed bilateral atresia of the external acoustic meatus in coronal and axial sections of an 8-year-old boy wasadmitted to hospital due to hearing loss. No congenital anomaly was detected in the middle and inner ear structures. Earlydetection of congenital aural atresia is critical. Speech retardation and accompanying anomalies associated with hearing lossmay be seen in these patients. CT is essential for the diagnosis and classification of congenital bilateral aural atresia, identificationof concomitant ear anomalies, and determination of the appropriate surgical treatment method.