Types and causes of otorrhea

Introduction: Otorrhea is a common symptom and sign of patients seeking examination in an ENT Department of a General Hospital. The objective of this review is to assess the cause of otorrhea according to the type of it. Method: Retrospective review of 306 ears discharging some kind of fluid of 296 patients, who appeared in the ENT Department of our Hospital over a 58-month period. Results: The most common type of otorrhea was the purulent one: 276 ears among 306 discharging ears (90%). The most common cause of purulent otorrhea was otitis externa: 156 ears among 276 ears discharging purulent fluid (56%,). The germ most commonly isolated in the cultures of purulent aural discharge was Pseudomonas aeruginosa: 67 isolations of P. aeruginosa among 256 cultures (26%). Conclusions: Otomicroscopic examination and accurate culture of purulent discharge are mandatory for the clinician to establish a correct diagnosis and suggest a proper therapy in every case of otorrhea. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.