Necrotizing otitis externa – Benefit of a multimodal treatment concept

Introduction Necrotizing otitis externa is a serious complication of inflammation of the external auditory canal and ultimately leads to osteomyelitis of the skull base due to the spread of infection via the Santorini fissures [Nadol 1980]. It is associated with diabetes mellitus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa [O'Sullivan et al. 1978]. If the facial nerve is involved, the mortality rate is up to 15% [Glikson et al. 2016]. The following case series is intended to demonstrate the need for multimodal therapy.