Impacted eustachian tube foreign body mimicking chronic otitis media: An extremely uncommon presentation

Abstract

Foreign bodies in the ear are a common occurrence in medical practice. This is true for both adults and children. It is one of the most common causes of trauma to the external auditory canal, tympanic membrane, and middle ear. However, an impacted foreign body in the eustachian tube (ET) has been reported very rarely. Due to the anatomical orientation of the ET, entry of a foreign body in it is very improbable. After an extensive research, we found only 14 reported cases of foreign body in the ET. A high degree of suspicion, incisive clinical evaluation, appropriate radiological evaluation, and diligent preoperative planning are imperative to extract an artifact from the ET. Herein, we present a case of a forgotten, impacted foreign body in the ET of a 52-year-old woman presenting with recurrent, intermittent foul-smelling discharge, and decreased hearing on the left ear for 2 years. To our knowledge, our case is the first, presenting with a foreign body in the ET after an inadvertent self-inflicted trauma.