Primary Bilateral Tuberculous Otitis Media After Kidney Transplantation: A Case Report.

We report a case of primary bilateral tuberculous otitis media in a patient who underwent kidney transplantation. This case presents unusual clinical features and histopathology from those of classical tuberculous otitis media. A 75-year-old woman presented at the clinic with purulent ear discharge and hearing loss in both ears. She had undergone kidney transplantation 6 years prior and had been taking immunosuppressant medications. Otoscopic examination and imaging studies suggested acute otitis media, which was irresponsive to antibiotics. The patient underwent surgery to eradicate the disease, and histopathologic examination revealed multifocal granulomas with Langhans giant cells without caseous changes. Ziehl-Neelsen staining and polymerase chain reaction confirmed the diagnosis of tuberculous otitis media. While tuberculous otitis media is a very rare manifestation of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, this case is more noteworthy in that it occurred as a primary infection rather than as a reactivation of a prior infection. In addition, it did not show the classical triad of clinical manifestations, which occurred bilaterally, and its histopathology was different from those of classical tuberculous otitis media. This case presents a new clinical variation in tuberculous otitis media.

Objective Tinnitus of Nasopharyngeal Origin.

We report a rare case of objective tinnitus induced by nasopharyngeal muscle constriction. A 49-year-old female patient presented at the clinic with unintentional sounds coming from the nasal cavity while talking or swallowing, which were similar to the lip-smacking sound. Physical examination revealed a hypertrophic posterior nasopharyngeal wall and torus tubarius at rest. With voluntary effort, the posterior pharyngeal wall protruded prominently and collided with the torus tubarius on either side, generating a sound when they were separated. Botox injection was recommended but the patient refused. The diagnosis and treatment of objective tinnitus are well established, but in some cases, it may occur under unexpected conditions. We report a novel type of objective tinnitus. A thorough physical examination for tinnitus could reveal the cause.