Malignant otitis externa and temporal bone osteomyelitis: Complete recovery following the adjunctive use of hyperbaric oxygen and antibiotics

Malignant otitis externa is an uncommon potentially fatal infection of the external ear caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It occurs usually in elderly diabetics and is followed by rapid invasion of the deep periauricular tissue and bone leading to osteomyelitis. We present such a patient whose disease persisted inspite of two months antibiotic therapy until the concomitant use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy was given over a period of four weeks. Complete recovery followed