Primary tuberculosis of the middle ear cleft: diagnostic and therapeutic considerations

Bilateral Tuberculous Otitis: A Furtive Middle Ear Infection

Tuberculosis is a highly challenging infectious disease that remains an important health issue, not only in developing countries, but also globally, since new cases of atypical tuberculosis resurface. Even though the global incidence of tuberculosis is on the rise, otologic manifestations of this pathology are a rare encounter for the ear nose and throat specialist, and bilateral localization is exceptional. Due to the numerous non-specific signs and symptoms of the condition and continuous genetic evolution of Mycobacterium, the diagnosis requires deep knowledge and fortuitous suspicion. The authors report a rare case of bilateral tuberculous otitis. What makes this case stand out is the fulminant, bilateral debut of the disease in an immunocompetent patient, with unknown primary infection and the knowledgeable course of clinical diagnosis.

Middle east tuberculosis in an immunocompromised patient: Case report and review of the literature

Tuberculosis is an airborne disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In 15-20% cases of active disease extrapulmonary tuberculosis may occur, most commonly in the head and neck region. Tuberculous otitis media accounts for 0,1% of the total number of tuberculosis patients. This paper provides insight into current state of literature of tuberculous otitis media. It also includes the case of a 53-year-old patient with tuberculous otitis media. The patient had a liver transplantation and she showed an atypical manifestation of the disease including acute otitis media and coinfection with Achromobacter xylosoxidans. The paper describes in detail the methods of diagnosis and the infection treatment. Considering the polymorphic clinical presentation of tuberculous otitis media in cases with long lasting otorrhoea differential diagnosis should include an infection with Mycobacerium tuberculosis.