Disorders of the ear

The typical ear infection, the middle ear becomes inflamed, located behind the eardrum, and fills with fluid. It is called otitis media.

Most short-lived, or acute, ear infections typically resolve without any intervention, but if they continue to recur they are classified as chronic infections, when fluid builds up and tends not to reabsorb.

An ear disease that causes deafness and consists of abnormal microscopic growth of bone in the inner ear walls. In medical jargon, this condition is also referred to as labyrinthine capsule osteodystrophy.

There can be various types of congenital malformations:

absence of the external auditory canal

 absence of the auricle;

minor pavilion malformations (resolvable by plastic surgery);

residual brachial cysts.

Ear tumours, benign or malignant, can occur in the middle ear and temporal bone. Middle ear cancer typically causes ear muffling and conductive hearing loss (mechanical problems that interfere with proper sound transmission). Tumours of the temporal bone, on the other hand, are external to the middle ear and can reach large dimensions without producing any symptoms.