title: Atypical presentations of malignant otitis externa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malignant otitis externa is a life-threatening infection of the skull base. Its presentation is not always typical.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report three cases of malignant otitis externa which illustrate the diversity of its clinical manifestations and the difficulties in its diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The perception of malignant otitis externa as an infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in diabetic patients is not always correct. The adoption of diagnostic criteria could be helpful in identifying atypical cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland. zkvourexakis@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Vourexakis
authors.forename: M-I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Kos
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Guyot
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000150:complications; D001231:Aspergillus flavus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D004433:Earache / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008416:Mastoid / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D010032:Otitis Externa / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D019291:Skull Base; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014717:Vertigo / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents