Clinico-microbiological Study on Otitis Externa (Necrotizing) in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

Aim: This study aims to find out the microbiological profile associated with necrotizing otitis externa (NOE) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: A prospective observational study was done from February 2022 to January 2023 in the patients diagnosed with OE with DM. Results: Out of 30 patients, 18 patients were male and 12 were female having DM presented with OE. The mean age was 60.53 ± 9.822. Severe night otalgia, otorrhea, and edema of the external auditory canal were present in all patients. Four cultures had no growth. whereas pus culture in 13 patients had Pseudomonas sp. and 5 patients in the study had mild conductive hearing loss. In 2 out of 30 patients, one had involvement of facial nerve causing facial nerve palsy and the other had facial nerve palsy along with injury to the glossopharyngeal nerve in high-resolution computed tomography findings. Conclusions: NOE is common in patients with DM mainly in the age group of 60–80 years. Pseudomonas sp. is the most commonly cultured microorganism.