title: Types and causes of otorrhea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Otorrhea is a common symptom and sign of patients seeking examination in an ENT Department of a General Hospital. The objective of this review is to assess the cause of otorrhea according to the type of it.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of 306 ears discharging some kind of fluid of 296 patients, who appeared in the ENT Department of our Hospital over a 58-month period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common type of otorrhea was the purulent one: 276 ears among 306 discharging ears (90%). The most common cause of purulent otorrhea was otitis externa: 156 ears among 276 ears discharging purulent fluid (56%). The germ most commonly isolated in the cultures of purulent aural discharge was Pseudomonas aeruginosa: 67 isolations of P. aeruginosa among 256 cultures (26%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Otomicroscopic examination and accurate culture of purulent discharge are mandatory for the clinician to establish a correct diagnosis and suggest a proper therapy in every case of otorrhea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, General Hospital of Ikaria, Ikaria 83300, Greece.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bardanis
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Batzakakis
authors.forename: Sotiris
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mamatas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications*; D004423:Ear / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000150:complications*; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D010035:Otitis Media, Suppurative / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000382:microbiology