Presentation Pattern and Fungal Agents Spectrum Causing Otommycosis

Abstract

Objective: This study was aimed to identify the public pattern of presentation, influencing factors, and sort the fungal species, distribution of sex of patients with otomycosis.Results: The predominant complaints were pruritus and found in 76 patients (88.73%), discomfort and pain found in 62 patients (72.09%), aural fullness in 48 patients (55.81%), tinnitus in 34 patients (39.53%), hearing impairment in 50 cases (58.31%), ear discharge in 22 patients (25.58%), and most of the symptoms seen in 36 patients (68.14%). The results showed a total of eight fungal species belong to six different genera, namely, Aspergillus, Candida, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Alternaria, and Cephalosporium were isolated during this study. Among identified fungi, Aspergillus niger was found to be the most prevalent fungal species with 35.71% followed by Candida albicans (27.55%), Aspergillus flavus (10.20%), Aspergillus fumigatus (8.16), Penicillium digitatum (6.12%) and Cephalosporium species (4.08%), and Rhizopus species (5.1%), while Alternaria alternata had the lowest percentage (6.54%).Conclusion: Otomycosis/mycotic otitis externa is still a common problem and there is a rise in the occurrence of otomycosis in latest years, especially in tropical and subtropical humid climates.