Forgotten Cause of Ear Infection: Forgotten Cotton Buds

Abstract

A year old man with multiple comorbidites presented with a week history of right ear infection associated with intense pain and offensive discharge The right external ear canal was full of granulation tissue The patient required hospital admission for analgesia intravenous and topical antibiotic treatment for suspected malignant otitis externa The patient responded well to medical therapy and one week later the granulation tissue regressed enough to reveal deeply impacted cotton buds which were removed in the clinic At subsequent reviews the patient showed complete resolution of ear infection Detached cotton tips impacted in the deeper parts of the external ear canal are the most common aural foreign body removed in adults Public awareness of cotton bud use related complications needs to be raised Unfortunately despite doctors rsquo and manufacturers rsquo advice against the use of cotton buds in the ears these remain in common use nbsp