OBJECTIVE:Malignant otitis externa (MOE) is an uncommon but potentially fatal disease of the external auditory canal. The study aimed at evaluating the demographic profile, coexisting disabilities, clinical presentations, and management of MOE MATERIALS and METHODS:This is a retrospective study of patients with MOE who were treated at the Otorhinolaryngology Department of our institution. The case records of patients treated between 2006 and 2013 for MOE were reviewed from the Medical Records Department of the hospital. The details were tabulated in a master chart, and the data were analyzed. RESULTS:Fifteen patients with MOE were treated as inpatients at the Otorhinolaryngology Department of our hospital during the study period. Of these, 12 were males and three were females. Among the 15 patients, 14 were diabetic and one was non-diabetic. Earache was the most common symptom observed in all patients; edema and granulations in the ear canal was the most common sign observed in 12 patients. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated in 11 patients. All patients were managed medically with intravenous antibiotics.CONCLUSION: MOE is a rare but aggressive condition affecting the external ear, which is commonly observed in elderly diabetic individuals. Immune senescence may be the cause of MOE in elderly people. Pseudomonas is the most common causative organism isolated in this condition. Most of these patients can be managed with medical treatment; reserving surgery only for the removal of granulation tissue and for histopathological examination.

A 4-year-old boy presented with a painless swelling over the right pinna of 4 months' duration. Histopathologic examination of the excised mass revealed features of pilomatricoma-a rare, benign skin neoplasm arising from hair follicle matrix cells. The unusual location of the lesion over the pinna, despite its frequent occurrence in the head and neck, prompted this article. We discuss the etiology, clinical presentation, and management of pilomatricoma of the auricular region

Background:Children with adenoid hypertrophy have been shown to harbor pathogenic bacteria in the nasopharynx despite antibiotics. Removal of the adenoid is associated with a reduction in the bacterial count.Aims:The study was done to determine the bacteriology of the adenoid tissue in chronic adenotonsillitis and adenoid hypertrophy, and determine the antibiotic sensitivity of potential pathogens.Materials and Methods:This is a descriptive study conducted on 100 patients aged between three and twelve years who underwent adenotonsillectomy/adenoidectomy. After adenoidectomy, the specimen along with the swab taken from the surface of the adenoid was sent for microbiological examination. After 48 and 96 hours, the microbial growth was identified and the antibiotic-sensitivity pattern of the isolate was studied.Results:Aerobic organisms grew in 93% of the specimens and anaerobic organisms in 68%, whereas 7% had no growth. The surface was predominated by commensals and the pathogens were mainly found in the core. The predominant pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Enterococcus species. The organisms were resistant to penicillin but showed sensitivity to co-amoxiclav and ciprofloxacin. Co-amoxiclav and ciprofloxacin should be considered as the first line of medical treatment for adenotonsillar diseases.Conclusions:Infection is the main cause of adenoid hypertrophy. Amoxicillin with potassium clavulanate and ciprofloxacin should be considered as the drugs of choice for all adenotonsillar diseases. Early and prompt treatment of adenoid hypertrophy with appropriate antibiotics will avoid unnecessary exposure to repeated antimicrobial therapy, thereby maintaining the beneficial effects of the normal adenoid flora.

Objective Clinical symptoms of otitis media with effusion are rarely brought forward to the guardians of young children who the disease is most prevalent in. This often leads to poor scholastic performances and difficult social interactions. The objective of this study was to identify asymptomatic cases of otitis media with effusion present in individuals with adenoid hypertrophy. Material and Methods In a cross sectional study advocated in Justice K.S.Hegde Hospital, Karnataka India we evaluated one hundred patients above the age of three from August 2016 to December 2017. Candidates who presented with an adenoid nasopharyngeal ratio of more than 0.5 were selected for the study. Individuals who complained of otological symptoms were not considered for the study. Patients cleared of other pathological otological conditions were underwent audiological evaluation with pure tone audiometry and tympanometry for evaluating the middle ear status and hearing loss. Results The study showed a total of 36% of patients evaluated presented with asymptomatic otitis media with effusion. In candidates who presented with a bilateral B tympanogram, 40% had significant conductive hearing loss of more than 25dB. Conclusion An objective test such as impedance audiometry in all patients with adenoid hypertrophy would aid in the diagnosis of fluid in the middle ear, so that timely intervention can be done and possible complications be averted.

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection, commonly affecting the paranasal sinuses. An aggressive invasive form of infection is common in people with uncontrolled diabetes and in immunocompromised people. Mucormycosis affecting temporal bone is a rare entity, most of the reported cases are of invasive disease in diabetic people. We report a case of mucormycosis of middle ear cavity which was found incidentally in a healthy nondiabetic woman while performing revision tympanoplasty for chronic suppurative otitis media.

The study was conducted to assess the impact of different nasal surgeries on the nasal mucociliary clearance mechanism. Mucociliary function of the nasal mucosa of patients who were undergoing various nasal surgeries was assessed by the Saccharin test by placing 5 mg saccharin granule on the anterior end of the inferior turbinate 1 day prior to the surgery. The time required for the test subject to experience a sweet taste was measured in minutes. Post-operatively the test was repeated 6 weeks after the surgery and the test times were compared. A total of 60 patients were part of this study. Of the 60 cases, 19 cases had undergone only septoplasty, 13 cases had undergone only functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), 25 cases had undergone septoplasty with FESS, 2 cases underwent septoplasty with bilateral partial inferior turbinectomy (PIT) and one case was submucous resection (SMR). Significant improvement in nasal mucociliary clearance was observed in all the patients after the procedures. Out of the 19 cases of septoplasty, 57.9 % showed improvement on the right side and 47.4 % on the left side. Out of the 13 cases of FESS, 61.5 % showed improvement on the right side and 69.2 % on the left side. Out of the 25 cases of FESS with septoplasty, 76.0 % showed improvement on both sides. The case of SMR did not show improvement. The 2 cases of septoplasty with PIT showed improvement. Statistically, highly significant improvement of test time was seen postoperatively as compared to pre-operatively. Among the surgical procedures, FESS with septoplasty showed better improvement as compared to the other procedures. Based on the study, we can conclude that nasal surgeries done for correction of septal deviation and rhino sinusitis significantly improves nasal mucociliary clearance mechanism thereby improving the physiological functions of the upper airway.

We report a case of recurrent Pindborg tumor (calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor) of the maxilla. The patient was a 34-year-old woman who had been previously diagnosed with Pindborg tumor and treated with curettage. She was subsequently referred to us for evaluation of nasal obstruction. Examination revealed the presence of a mass lesion in the right nasal cavity and right maxilla, which was identified as a recurrence of her earlier Pindborg tumor. The patient was treated with maxillectomy with orbital preservation. Pindborg tumor is a rare odontogenic tumor; when it does occur, it is more often seen in the mandible than in the maxilla. While this tumor is often treated with curettage alone, the aggressive nature of the recurrence in our patient necessitated radical surgery. We report this case to highlight the need to be suitably aggressive in treating these types of tumors in order to avoid recurrence.

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