A Prospective Study on Malignant Otitis Externa in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital, India

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the various symptomatologies that patients presenting to the ENT OPD in a tertiary care hospital presented with as well as the treatment outcomes. Materials and Methods:  This prospective study was carried out in the ENT department of the GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Visakhapatnam, over the course of 18 months, from August 2018 to February 2020. Typically, patients also had hearing loss, auditory fullness, persistent otorrhoea, and nocturnal otalgia. Patients' consent to take part in the trial has been obtained. In addition to conducting pertinent investigations, a thorough clinical examination and full history were performed. Out of the 15 patients selected, MOE is more common in males (60%) than females (40%). Commonest organism isolated is Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Nocturnal otalgia was the presenting complaint in all the patients. The age group commonly affected with MOE is 60 to 75 years. Facial nerve palsy is seen among 46% of the patients. Dry moping and application of betadine wick after the scrapping of granulations and reasonable glycemic control was helpful in-patient recovery in 50% of the cases. The severe infection known as malignant otitis externa (MOE) is a potentially fatal illness. Long-term topical and oral antibiotic therapy, together with rigorous glycemic control, allowed us to control the condition in our patients, but the surgical strategy involving the debridement of granulations was crucial for the disease's resolution.