[Fungal flora of the external ear canal--influence of cancer progressing].
In order to observe the influence of host immunity on fungal flora of the external ear canals, a group of 22 patients (44 ears) with stage IV head and neck cancer was investigated. The opportunistic fungi, Candida and Aspergillus, were found to have increased statistically (21.2%----43.1%, P less than 0.025). In addition, C. albicans (11.3%), not existing in the normal ear canal, was found with a tendency of increase. Although a recent report revealed that radiation and chemotherapy appear to be directly or indirectly related to fungal flora, the relevancy of host immune defect seems to be more evident in this study.
Juan
K H
KH
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Kaohsiung Medical College, Taiwan, Republic of China.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged