Determination of causative agents of malignant otitis externa in the patients referred to Ayatolallah Rohani Hospital in Babol city 2020-2021

Abstract

Background and aim: Malignant otitis externa are one of the diseases that, although it is one of the less recorded cases of ear diseases, but due to the deterioration of the situation, the progress of the disease and the potential risk of death for patients, it is the attention of medical centers. The aim of present study was to determination of causative agents of malignant otitis externa in the patients referred to Ayatolallah Rohani Hospital in Babol city 2020-2021.

Materials and methods: In a cross-sectional study, 112 patients with otitis externa infection referred to the ENT clinic of Ayatolallah Rohani hospital in Babol city 2020-2021 entered the study by filling out a questionnaire and a commitment letter. The diagnosis of the malignant otitis externa was based on clinical findings and the cause of the disease was based on laboratory finding (direct examination, culture and biochemical tests). The diagnosis criteria were mainly clinical, which was the presence of necrotic tissue in the canal floor and on the way to the eardrum, and pathological confirmation was the cause of the disease.

Results: The demographic information of the studied patients, 48 cases (55.8%) were less than 41 years old, 52 cases (60.5%) were women, and 62 cases (72.1%) had diabetes. Out of 112 patients, 86 patients had otitis externa, and malignant infection was observed in 4 patients (4.7%) by bacterial culture. 26 cases were excluded from the study due to fungal infection with filamentous and yeast causative agents. Out of 4 patients with malignant otitis externa, 3 had diabetes. In examining the types of bacterial strains in ear bacterial infection samples in patients with and without malignant bacterial otitis externa infection, no significant difference was observed (P=0.22).

Conclusion: According to the results of present study, the frequency of malignant otitis externa was less than 5%, and the high-risk groups for malignant otitis externa were women and diabetic patients, early diagnosis and treatment play a very important role in preventing complications and reducing the hospitalization period of these patients.

Keyword: Malignant otitis externa, bacterial causative agents