Ear Diseases

Infections of the Ear

Otitis externa is an infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the external ear canal, often involving the auricle, with symptoms including ear pain, tenderness, fever, and ear discharge, and is commonly caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, according to the American College of Radiology 1
The American College of Radiology recommends the use of topical antibiotics and pain medications for the treatment of otitis externa, with a high risk of developing necrotizing otitis externa in patients with poorly controlled diabetes or immunosuppression 1
Acute otitis media (AOM) is a bacterial infection of the middle ear, more common in children as a result of an upper respiratory tract infection, with main symptoms including sudden onset of fever, ear pain, and otorrhea, and is often caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae, according to the American College of Radiology 1

Otitis media with effusion (OME) is characterized by fluid in the middle ear without signs or symptoms of an acute infection, with the main symptom being a conductive hearing loss, and can occur after an AOM when the inflammatory process resolves but the fluid in the middle ear persists, according to Nature Reviews Disease Primers 2
Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is a chronic inflammation of the middle ear and mastoid mucosa with a non-intact tympanic membrane and persistent ear discharge, and is a leading cause of hearing loss in developing countries, according to Nature Reviews Disease Primers 2

Meniere's disease is characterized by discrete episodic attacks with a characteristic clinical constellation of persistent vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, ear fullness, and tinnitus in the affected ear, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 4
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a sudden sensorineural hearing loss that can occur unilaterally or bilaterally, with bilateral sudden hearing loss being rare and should raise concerns about specific causes such as vascular, metabolic, autoimmune, infectious, neoplastic, toxic, or traumatic in nature, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 5
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is characterized by short episodes of vertigo triggered by head or body position changes, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 4

Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, is a common cause of hearing loss in older adults, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 6
Superior canal dehiscence syndrome is different from BPPV in that the vertigo is triggered by pressure changes rather than position changes, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 4

The American College of Radiology recommends the use of imaging studies for complicated cases of otitis externa or otitis media, and conservative treatment with long-term antimicrobials is the mainstay of therapy for necrotizing otitis externa and skull base osteomyelitis 1