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Earwax - Making a diagnosis
What else might it be?
- Otitis externa (inflammation of the auricle or external ear canal due to allergy, infection, or eczematous conditions).
- Foreign bodies (particularly suspect in children).
- Keratosis obturans is rare and of unknown aetiology, and is characterized by increased keratin production. A pearly white plug made up of densely compressed keratin squames fills the external ear canal, causing erosion of the bony canal. It presents with otalgia, hearing loss, and otorrhoea, usually with bilateral involvement in younger people. The external meatus may become markedly enlarged leading to severe wax accumulation [Hawke, 2002; Guest et al, 2004; Baer, 2005].
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