An unusual presentation of the external auditory canal mass

Background: External auditory canal (EAC) masses can arise secondary to a multitude of ear pathologies like congenital, inflammatory, infective, or malignancy. The most common causes of external auditory canal masses are due to otitis media-squamous and mucosal types, tubercular otitis media, malignant otitis externa, and benign tumors like osteomas, exostosis, pleomorphic adenoma, tumors from the ceruminous and sebaceous glands; and malignant tumors like squamous cell carcinoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. The management of an external auditory canal mass will vary in each case, depending upon the underlying pathology and the extent of the involvement of the surrounding structures. Case presentation: In our case report, we report a neglected foreign body in the external auditory canal that presented as an EAC mass and its management. Conclusion: Hence, we suggest that we need to consider an underlying neglected foreign body as a cause, whenever masses of EAC do not respond to appropriate medical treatment with antibiotics.