Congenital malformations of the external auditory canal.

Abnormal development of the first and second branchial arches and the intervening branchial cleft and pharyngeal pouch can result in a variety of deformities affecting the external auditory canal and the middle ear. This article reviews several of these deformities, including external auditory canal stenosis and atresia (minor and major congenital ear malformations) and external auditory canal duplication anomalies (type I and type II branchial cleft cysts).