The epithelial migration in 18 dry ears with a cavity after surgery was studied by the ink-dot method and compared with the epithelial migration in 15 normal ears. A qualitatively normal centrifugal migration pattern was observed in all cavity ears. Considerable variation in migration speed was observed within the same cavity ear, thus a comparison with the migration speed in normal ears was impossible. No definite relationship was apparent between migration speed and the self-cleansing ability of the ear, which primarily appeared to be a function of the macroscopic appearance of the cavity (i.e. the presence of pockets or ridges). We conclude that epithelial migration is as important in maintaining the self-cleansing function and non-infected state in cavity ears as it is in normal ears.