Importance of vitamin D among patients with recurrent acute otitis externa

Meatus acusticus externus is an anatomic formation with an approximate length of 2.5 cm and under normal circumstances, it manifests an ability to enable external epithelial migration with itself cleaning capacity. About one-third of external canal consists of cartilage formation, fat layer, apocrine glands and pilar formations. Thanks to its antimicrobial lysozyme characteristic, apocrine glands produce a cerumen layer offering protection. Cerumen has a 6.9 of pH level which can stop microbial growth (1). Otitis externa (OE) is defined as an inflammation measured at different degrees on the external surface of auricula, meatus acusticus externus or tympanic membrane (2). It was defined in 1844 by Mayer (3) at first. OE is a disease that affects daily life. Just in one year, it can affect every four people out of 1000. Diagnosis is made upon a physical examination that involves autoscopy concomitant with patient history. Clinical indications are characterized by irritation, pain and erythematous meatus acusticus externus. As the disease progresses, otorrhea and conductive hearing loss may develop (4). OE is categorized under four groups as; localized or pervasive, acute or chronic (5). Acute form of OE is primarily bacteria derived (90% of all cases). It can also develop due to fungi, viral and allergic dermatological disorders. In OE formation, some of inducing factors are water exposure on external ear, high temperature or high humidity in the environment, lowness or absence of cerumen, continuous stimulation with foreign objects in external auditory canal, hearing aids plugged into external auditory canal, ear plugs, psoriasis, dermatitis and radiation therapy (6). Vitamin D plays a vital role in human body. In recent studies, the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and otologic ABSTRACT Date submitted: 15.07.2020 Date accepted: 31.08.2020 Online publication date: 15.03.2021