• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Benign ear cyst or tumor

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment

Alternative Names:

Osteomas; Exostoses; Tumor - ear; Cysts - ear; Ear cysts; Ear tumors

Symptoms:

The symptoms of cysts include:

• Small soft skin lumps on, behind, or in front of the ear that are usually not painful or tender (unless infected)
• Cysts within the external ear canal that can be extremely painful

The symptoms of benign tumors include:

• Ear discomfort
• Gradual hearing loss in one ear (because the tumor blocks the external ear canal)

Note: There may be no symptoms.

Signs and tests:

Benign cysts and tumors are usually discovered during a routine ear examination, which can include audiometry (hearing tests) and tympanometry (middle ear testing). When looking into the ear, the doctor may see cysts or benign tumors within the ear canal.

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:

• Electronystagmography
• Caloric stimulation

• Review Date: 10/20/2006
• Reviewed By: Kevin Fung, M.D., FRCS(C), Department of Otolaryngology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.