Malignant Otitis Externa

Overview

A practical ENT-focused emergency card for the diabetic or immunocompromised patient presenting with severe otalgia, chronic otorrhea, and granulation tissue in the external auditory canal. This is not ordinary otitis externa until proven otherwise. The term “malignant” does not mean cancer; it refers to an aggressive invasive infection that extends from the external auditory canal into the temporal bone and skull base, potentially causing cranial nerve palsies, skull base osteomyelitis, and life-threatening intracranial complications.