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Can an ear specialist explain what is in this picture?

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jd10078
jd10078

Hi! An otolaryngologist examined my ears and took the photo below. They explained that the white protrusions were calcified deposits, and were probably due to repeated ear infections as a child; they never saw them in this form before.

image

I didn't want to bother them with anymore questions because they had other patients to see, so I thought I'd ask if any otolaryngologists here would be willing to share their thoughts / sate my curiosity.

What causes these shapes to form? I understand repeat ear infections may cause it, but what is the underlying physiological process? Is it similar to scar formation? Can these protrusions keep growing? What problems can this cause (hearing loss was brought up by my doctor)?

Other relevant info:

  • I never had tubes in my ears before (didn't know that was a thing until they asked me)
  • I get mild discomfort in this ear much more often than the other ear -- it feels like pressure on the ear canal

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