Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mineral deposits near the ear in dogs with and without ear disease
By Ma, Man-Hei et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2026·Dick White Referrals, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of mineralization in the para-aural region in dogs with and without ear disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 15 dogs had unusual mineral deposits in the area around their ears, which was seen on CT scans. These dogs, mostly male and averaging 9.4 years old, often had other ear problems, such as thickening or fluid in the ear structures. The mineralization was linked to chronic middle ear disease, suggesting that if your dog has ear issues, a CT scan might reveal more about their condition. While this mineralization is rare, it could indicate ongoing ear problems that need attention.
People also search for: dog ear problems CT scan · mineralization in dog's ear · chronic ear disease in dogs · signs of ear infection in dogs
Abstract
Mineralization of the para-aural soft-tissue region between the tympanic bulla, hyoid apparatus and nasopharynx in dogs has not been described in veterinary literature. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of para-aural mineralization on head computed tomography (CT), describe its morphological features, and assess associations with middle-ear disease, body weight, age, and breed. This retrospective case-control study of 1,833 canine head CTs (January 2012 - December 2024) identified para-aural mineralization in 15 dogs (0.8%) and affected cases were compared with 30 breed-matched controls. Affected dogs were predominantly male, median age 9.4 years and weight 27.3 kg, with lesions frequently bilateral, ventrolateral to the tympanic bulla, and having a median area 12.4 mm(median Hounsfield Units 424). All affected cases also showed external ear canal wall mineralization and 87% cf. 43% in the control cases had concurrent tympanic bulla disease (wsall thickening, lysis, and luminal soft tissue/fluid, or hyperostotic tympanic bone spicules) ( = 0.009), whereas age ( = 0.065) and weight ( = 0.709) did not differ significantly between the two groups. Dogs with para-aural mineral formations were more likely to have other soft tissue mineralization noted in the head CT. Cases with serial scans revealed coalescence of fragments, suggesting a dynamic calcification process. These CT findings indicate that para-aural mineralization is uncommon, but imaging findings could serve as a marker of occult chronic middle ear disease, rather than being associated with age or body weight.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42003945/