The causative agents of malignant otitis externa among the patients referred to Ayatollah Rohani Hospital in Babol, Northern of Iran

Malignant otitis externa is an invasive, inflammatory and necrotic form of the external ear canal. The aims of the present study was to determination of causative agents of malignant otitis externa. In a cross-sectional study, ۱۱۲ patients with otitis externa referred to Ayatolallah Rohani hospital in Babol city from ۲۰۲۰-۲۰۲۱ entered the study. The diagnosis of the malignant otitis externa was based on clinical findings and the cause of the disease was based on laboratory finding. The diagnosis criteria were mainly clinical, which was the presence of necrotic tissue in the canal floor and histopathological findings. The demographic information of the studied patients, ۴۸ cases (۵۵.۸%) were less than ۴۱ years old, ۵۲ cases (۶۰.۵%) were women, and ۶۲ cases (۷۲.۱%) had diabetes. Out of ۱۱۲ patients, ۸۶ patients had otitis externa, and malignant infection was observed in ۴ patients (۴.۷%) by bacterial culture. Also, ۲۶ cases were excluded from the study due to fungal infection with filamentous and yeast causative agents. Out of ۴ patients with malignant otitis externa, ۳ had diabetes. According to the results of present study, the frequency of malignant otitis externa was less than ۵%, and the high-risk groups for malignant otitis externa were women, and diabetic patients. Early diagnosis and treatment play a very important role in preventing complications disease and reducing the hospitalization.

کلیدواژه ها:

Malignant ، Otitis externa ، Bacterial agents ، Diabetes