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A typical mycobacterial otomastoiditis
Author(s) -
Terkonda Raj P.,
Levine Samuel C.,
Duvall Arndt J.,
Giebink G. Scott
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-199512000-00002
Subject(s) - medicine , middle ear , ossicles , granulation tissue , antibiotics , mycobacterium , dermatology , mastoiditis , tuberculosis , pathology , otitis , surgery , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , wound healing
A typical mycobacterial infections of the middle ear and mastoid are rare; only 4 isolated cases and an outbreak of 17 cases have been reported. Herein are presented three additional cases with chronic otorrhea unresponsive to routine medical therapy. Two were due to Mycobacterium avium‐intracellulare and the third to Mycobacterium chelonei . All three patients had negative tuberculin test results and normal chest radiographs. Pathologic study reveals granulomatous inflammation, usually with negative acid‐fast stains. Tissue culture should be incubated for a minimum of 4 weeks. These patients often undergo multiple otologic procedures and have abundant granulation tissue with normal ossicles. The antibiotic therapy is prolonged, and the organisms may be resistant to the usual antituberculous drugs. Unlike many atypical mycobacterial infections today, those involving the middle ear can occur in immunologically normal individuals.