RESUMO
Epidermal cysts are generally benign tumors that usually originate from the skin caused by inflammation of hair cortex and proliferation of epidermal cells within the dermis; however, for these cysts to occur in the bony external auditory canal (EAC) is rare. They are often present as a solitary, painless lesion and usually asymptomatic and the diagnosis depends on the results of the histological examination. In treatment, the cyst wall must be completely removed surgically. We recently encountered a 82-year-old male with a mass in the right EAC. An otoscopic examination showed a polypoid mass on the bony EAC, which was finally diagnosed as epidermal cyst after an initial misdiagnosis as EAC carcinoma. We report the rare, unique case with literature review.