Darier´s disease as an unusual risk factor for otitis externa: a case report

Abstract

Background: Darier´s disease is known for affecting seborrheic areas of the body, including the ear, but no previous case reports describe recurrent otitis externa as a manifestation of this rare disease.Case presentation: We describe the case of a 70-year-old woman presenting to the Otolaryngology department with bilateral otalgia and pruritus with a 4-day evolution. She complained of recurrent similar episodes for many years requiring treatment. Scaly, pruritic, greasy lesions of the pinna were present and bilateral otitis externa was diagnosed. Inframammary and lower leg involuting lesions were also present. She had been diagnosed with Darier´s disease by the age of 16 years reporting frequent flares. Targeted treatment resolved the otologic complaints after 1 week and Dermatology evaluation was advised to pursue systemic medical optimization.Conclusion: Patients showing chronic otitis externa along with concurrent dermatologic lesions should be referred to the Dermatology clinic so that diagnostic investigation and targeted therapies may be offered.