Middle ear tuberculosis.

Abstract

Fourteen cases of tuberculous otitis media are reported. With the declining incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis, the number of reported cases of tuberculous otitis media has become scanty. Nowadays the so-called classical signs of the lesion such as a profuse discharge, profound hearing loss, facial paralysis and multiple perforations, are hardly ever seen. Surgical intervention when done under cover of anti-tubercular drugs has no deleterious effect on the result of surgery. In order not to miss tuberculous otitis media, whenever the otologist is dealing with chronic middle ear disease, the following points should always be kept in mind: (a) A dull ache in the ear without obvious inflammatory signs. (b) A whitish-grey appearance of the mucosa. (c) Bulging of granulation tissue from the mastoid cells during surgery.