What could be the cause of a white patch inside the ear? (photo)

It is difficult to tell with certainty (based on the picture provided) what the white patch in your son's ear canal is. Common causes of such appearance in the ear canal include:

1. Earwax (this may not cause any symptoms or can cause some ear blockage/itching when impacted)

2. Foreign body in the ear (Do ask your son if he has inserted anything in his ear)

3. Ear infection - Bacterial ear infections usually will result in ear pain, discharge and hearing loss. Fungal ear infections may not cause pain but more likely to cause ear itchiness, discharge and hearing loss.

It's best to take your son to see a GP with the appropriate equipments to treat ear conditions or to an ENT Specialist for an assessment and treatment.

Hope this helps and all the best!

I looked closely at your photo but I wonder which "patch" you're referring to?

There is a very tiny whitish speck just inside the opening of the ear which really looks just like a bit of flaky dy skin, probably nothing to worry about.

However, deeper in the ear, there appears to be a larger area of whitish scaly-looking plaque which might be sitting very close to or on the eardrum itself. If your child has had an ear infection before, sometimes this may be a patch of tympanosclerosis which is basically an area of slight benign scarring on the eardrum, which we do see relatively often.

For confirmation and your reassurance, I advise you to get his ear thoroughly checked out by an ENT specialist who can examine the ear carefully under a microscope.

Hope your kiddie stays well!