[Middle ear tuberculosis].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to emphasize the difficulties of diagnosing middle ear tuberculosis because of its nonspecific symptoms and to incite the physician to seek it more frequently.


METHODS
Six cases of middle ear tuberculosis were diagnosed within a 4-year period and included in a retrospective study.


RESULTS
We listed two men and four women with an average age of 41 years. Two patients had a mastoidectomy with a histologic examination that enabled us to rectify the diagnosis. The medical treatment was based on a bactericidal chemotherapy. In all cases, the long-term evolution was favourable, with 11 months an average passing.


CONCLUSIONS
The symptoms of middle ear tuberculosis are misleading. Pathologic findings are increasingly taking a more important place in the diagnosis, which the new techniques of serologic tests will surely improve.
Oudidi
Abdellatif
A
Service d'oto-rhino-laryngologie, CHU Hassan II, Fès, Morocco. otorhino@hotmail.com
El Alami
Med Nourredine
MN
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017577:Cutaneous Fistula / Q000382:microbiology; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008416:Mastoid / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology