Primary Diphtheritic Otitis Media and Mastoiditis

Abstract

Diphtheritic infection of the ear is very rare. We report here a case of Primary Diphtheritic Otitis Media with a brief review of the literature.

Isolation of Toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae from Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media

“…An association of C. diphtheriae with otitis media is relatively rare phenomenon which is generally seen accompanying diphtheritic croup and nasopharyngitis causing complications like destruction of tympanic membrane and ossicles, invasive infection of the contiguous structures leading to necrosis of the mastoid process, temporal bone and labyrinth [9]. The three varieties of diphtheritic otitis media that have been reported are, i) primary diphtheritic otitis media, where middle ear is the main site of infection with isolation of organisms from ear discharge and not from the nasopharynx; ii) secondary diphtheritic otitis media where ear is involved as a complication of preexisting nasopharyngeal diphtheria and obvious positive cultures obtained from the ear and nasopharynx; and iii) superimposed infection by C. diphtheriae upon an existing otitis media due to the usual respiratory pathogens like streptococci, pneumococci or Haemophilus infleuenzae [16]. Primary diphtheritic otitis media is rare and has been reported in few old studies [16][17][18][19].…”

“…The three varieties of diphtheritic otitis media that have been reported are, i) primary diphtheritic otitis media, where middle ear is the main site of infection with isolation of organisms from ear discharge and not from the nasopharynx; ii) secondary diphtheritic otitis media where ear is involved as a complication of preexisting nasopharyngeal diphtheria and obvious positive cultures obtained from the ear and nasopharynx; and iii) superimposed infection by C. diphtheriae upon an existing otitis media due to the usual respiratory pathogens like streptococci, pneumococci or Haemophilus infleuenzae [16]. Primary diphtheritic otitis media is rare and has been reported in few old studies [16][17][18][19]. In the case presented here, the organism was isolated in addition to organisms like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae which are the potential pathogens associated with CSOM.…”