Malignant otitis externa
Alternative Names
Osteomyelitis of the skull; Otitis externa - malignantSymptoms
- Drainage from the ear - yellow, yellow-green, foul smelling, persistent
- Hearing loss
- Ear pain - felt deep inside the ear and may get worse when moving head
- Itching of the ear or ear canal
- Fever
Exams and Tests
A doctor will look into your ear for signs of an outer ear infection (otitis externa). The head around and behind the ear may be tender to touch. A neurological examination may show that the cranial nerves are affected.
If there is any drainage, the doctor may send it to the lab for a culture to be performed. The purpose of the culture is to look for bacteria or fungus, usually the bacteria Pseudomonas.
To look for signs of a bone infection adjacent to the ear canal, the following tests may be performed:
- CT scan of the head
- X-rays of the skull
- MRI scan of the head
- Radionuclide scan
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