Erosive external otitis: a novel distinct clinical entity of the external auditory canal in nonimmunosuppressed individuals.
OBJECTIVE
We introduce erosive external otitis (EEO) as a novel erosive process of the external auditory canal in the absence of diabetes or immune suppression.


METHODS
Case series and literature review.


METHODS
Tertiary referral center.


METHODS
Primary eligibility criteria included patients who had an erosive process of their external auditory canal in the absence of diabetes or immune suppression.


METHODS
Surgical debridement and split-thickness skin grafting.


METHODS
Uneventful wound healing and disease-free long-term follow-up after surgical debridement and skin grafting.


RESULTS
Three cases of EEO in the absence of immune suppression or diabetes were diagnosed and treated. All patients required surgical debridement and skin grafting as part of their management. All recovered uneventfully from surgery and had no evidence of recurrence on long-term follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
We propose that EEO, which occurs in the absence of immune suppression or diabetes, is a clinical entity that is distinct from the more commonly diagnosed malignant external otitis and that the management of EEO is primarily surgical debridement with skin grafting.
Division of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California 92093-0647, USA. quyennguyen@ucsd.edu
Linda T
LT
Nguyen
Jeffrey P
JP
Harris
Quyen T
QT
Nguyen
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003646:Debridement; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010032:Otitis Externa / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D055815:Young Adult
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002939:Ciprofloxacin