MALIGNANT EXTERNAL OTITIS DUE TO ASPERGILLUS-FLAVUS WITH FULMINANT DISSEMINATION TO THE LUNGS

Malignant external otitis secondary to aspergillus infection is rare, and only 10 cases have been reported in the literature. Nine of 10 pat ients responded to therapy and survived their infection. There have be en no previous reports of dissemination of Aspergillus species from th e ear to other organs. We describe a case of malignant external otitis due to Aspergillus flavus that disseminated hematogenously to the lun gs. The result was an overwhelming, miliary pulmonary infection, which progressed very rapidly to respiratory failure and death. Pathologica l examination of lung tissue revealed multiple microabscesses and hyph al elements that had invaded the lung parenchyma from small pulmonary arteries.