Schwannoma of the external auditory canal: an exceptional location

Solitary schwannoma is a benign, encapsulated tumour of Schwann cell origin, therefore the olfactory and optic nerves are never affected. About 25%-45% of all schwannomas occur in the head and neck but schwannoma of the external auditory canal is a rare finding, and we have found only 6 previous cases reported in the literature world-wide. Our patient was discovered by chance during a stapedectomy because the tumour was sited in the external auditory canal without distorting it.