Three Cases of Tuberculous Otitis Media

Abstract

We report three cases of tuberculous otitis media. These cases, including a 54-year-old male, 17-year-old male and 41-year-old female, were initially diagnosed as acute otitis media at Miyazaki Medical College Hospital and a related hospital from 1978 to 2001. During the treatment, they exhibited atypical findings, such as painless otorrhea and necrosis of a tympanic membrane, and the antibiotics ordinarily used were not effective. Such clinical course suggested tuberculous otitis media, and then a definitive diagnosis was made. It is difficult to make an early diagnosis. Several clinical criteria published in recent years indicate that otoscopic findings are relatively unique for tuberculous otitis media. Therefore, it is important to recognize these characteristic findings as the signs of this disease.In the treatment of acute otitis media, we must keep in mind that tuberculous otitis media should be suspected if the patient shows intractable otorrhea without otalgia.