title: Challenges encountered in the diagnosis of tuberculous otitis media: case report and literature review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report a rare case of tuberculous otitis media, and to highlight barriers to clinical and microbiological diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case report and literature review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tuberculous otitis media is a rare cause of chronic ear infection in the UK. Its symptoms may mimic a range of other otological conditions, including otitis media, chronic suppurative otitis media, cholesteatoma and necrotising otitis media.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case report highlights the challenges of obtaining a clinical diagnosis of tuberculous otitis media, and emphasises the fact that screening for acid-fast bacilli is not sufficient, in isolation, to rule out mycobacterial infection.
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, UK. otdale@doctors.net.uk
authors.forename: O T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Dale
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Drysdale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000379:methods; D004433:Earache / Q000209:etiology; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D046088:Hearing Loss, Unilateral / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010032:Otitis Externa / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification; D035583:Rare Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents