To review cases of congenital external auditory canal anomaly with cholesteatoma, documenting clinical presentation, cholesteatoma site and extent, complications, and surgery.

Retrospective review of all cases of congenital canal anomaly with cholesteatoma treated between 1998 and 2009.

Of 41 cases with canal anomalies, 17 (43.9 per cent) had associated cholesteatoma. Medical records were unretrievable for four cases. Of the remaining 13 patients (five females and eight males, age range four to 73 years, mean 21 years), 10 presented chiefly with recurrent otorrhoea, two with postauricular discharge from mastoid abscess, and one with otalgia, postauricular tenderness and neck stiffness. Hearing loss was conductive in 10 patients (76.9 per cent) and sensorineural (severe to profound) in three. No facial nerve palsy was documented. Cholesteatoma was seen in all cases on high resolution computed tomography, and confirmed intra-operatively. Six patients underwent canalplasty with split skin grafting, and seven modified radical mastoidectomy. Six patients recovered well, two needed repeated canalplasty for soft tissue restenosis, and five needed cautery and split skin grafting for mastoid cavity granulation tissue.

Congenital canal anomaly is uncommon. Canal cholesteatoma should be suspected in all cases, and high resolution temporal bone computed tomography undertaken in all patients aged four years or more. In patients with otorrhoea, the risk of cholesteatoma is greater. Treatment is generally surgery; the type depends on the disease extent.

To describe our technique of endaural meatoplasty for mastoid surgery, and to publish an online video demonstration.

After the endaural incision, a skin incision is accurately marked over the anterior conchal bowl, identified by pushing the anti-helix anteriorly. This should meet the line of the endaural incision superiorly and extend inferiorly to the lower anterior edge of the conchal cartilage. After performing the incision, a segment of conchal cartilage is removed. The soft tissue meatoplasty is facilitated by resecting a triangular segment of skin and underlying soft tissue medial to the conchal incision (on which it is based). The free edges are closed with absorbable sutures after the (attico)mastoidectomy.

We have used this method on 64 patients over the past two years. Satisfactory functional and cosmetic outcomes were achieved in all.

Our technique is simple, easy to learn, quick and effective in helping to achieve our goal of a dry mastoid cavity with an adequate meatoplasty.