GRANULOMA INGUINALE (DONOVANOSIS) - AN UNUSUAL CAUSE OF OTITIS-MEDIA AND MASTOIDITIS IN CHILDREN

Granuloma inguinale (donovanosis) is seen predominantly in adults (it rarely occurs in children) and mainly affects genital skin and mucosa. Infection occurs at other skin and mucosal sites, and hematogenous di ssemination to bone also has been described. The infection responds dr amatically to appropriate antibiotic treatment. We present two cases o f granuloma inguinale occurring in children (8 months and 5 months of age) causing mastoiditis and external ear discharges. A temporal lobe abscess also developed in the 8-month-old child. Subsequent computed t omography scans showed marked improvement in the brain lesion after tr eatment. The second child had a polypoid mass in the middle ear that o n biopsy showed the features of granuloma inguinale. The mother of thi s child had biopsy-proven granuloma inguinale of the uterine cervix. T hese cases indicate that granuloma inguinale can be transmitted during vaginal delivery, and careful cleansing of neonates born to infected mothers is recommended.