MALIGNANT OTITIS-EXTERNA IN HIV AND AIDS

Malignant otitis externa is a necrotising infection of the external ea r canal which may spread to include the mastoid and petrous parts of t he temporal bone, leading to skull base osteomyelitis. It is almost ex clusively caused by infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and usually occurs in elderly non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients. However is olated cases have been reported in a small number of non-diabetic pati ents, particularly in children who are immunocompromised due to malign ancy, malnutrition and severe anaemia. In 1984 a case of malignant oti tis externa was reported in a child with an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-like illness, prior to identification of the human imm unodeficiency virus (HIV). Since that time further sporadic cases of t his invasive infection have been reported in HIV and AIDS. We present two further cases and also a review of the current literature.