Characteristics and prognosis of malignant external otitis with facial paralysis.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the characteristics and prognosis of patients with malignant (necrotizing) external otitis (MEO) with and without facial nerve palsy in today's era of third-generation antibiotics.


METHODS
Comparative retrospective case series.


METHODS
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rabin Medical Center, a tertiary care medical center.


METHODS
Forty-eight patients with MEO diagnosed and treated from 1990 to 2004. Eight had facial paralysis and 40 had normal facial nerve function.


METHODS
Clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings and survival.


RESULTS
There was no statistically significant difference between patients with and without facial nerve involvement in terms of age, comorbidities, duration of complaints, physical findings, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and bone scan findings. Computed tomography indicated a more progressive disease in patients with facial nerve involvement. However, no statistically significant between-group difference was found in overall survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Although facial nerve involvement is a sign of progression of MEO, it does not, by itself, worsen prognosis.
Soudry
Ethan
E
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and Epidemiology Unit, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqwa 49100, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
Joshua
Ben Zion
BZ
Sulkes
Jaqueline
J
Nageris
Ben I
BI
D000368:Aged; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D004431:Ear, External / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D010032:Otitis Externa / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed