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Malignant otitis externa - Symptom

Alternative Names

Osteomyelitis of the skull; Otitis externa - malignant

Symptoms:

Drainage from the ear - yellow, yellow-green, foul smelling, persistent
Ear pain - felt deep inside the ear and may get worse when moving head
Hearing loss
Itching of the ear or ear canal
Fever

Signs and tests:

A doctor will look into your ear for signs of an outer ear infection (otitis externa). The head around and behind the ear may be tender to touch. A nervous system (neurological) examination may show that the cranial nerves are affected.

If there is any drainage, the doctor may send it to the lab for a culture. The purpose of the culture is to look for bacteria or fungi, usually the bacteria Pseudomonas.

To look for signs of a bone infection next to the ear canal, the following tests may be performed:

Ear anatomy

Reviewed last on: 10/10/2008
Alan Lipkin, MD, Otolaryngologist, Private Practice, Denver, Colorado. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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