2018 Volume 67 Issue 2 Pages 243-248
We report a case of chronic otitis media caused by the Mycobacterium abscessus complex. The patient was a 72-year-old female, whose chief complaints were otalgia and otorrhea. The patient had been prescribed with ofloxacin (OFLX) otic solution and garenoxacin (GRNX) by her previous doctor and was subsequently admitted to our hospital, because her symptoms had not improved. A Gram stain of an otorrheal sample showed Gram-positive bacilli. On the basis of our suspicion of an acid-fast bacillus, we conducted Ziehl–Neelsen staining, which revealed acid-fast bacilli (Gaffky 4). The acid-fast bacilli showed rapid growth after 48 h of culture. Identification by DNA-DNA hybridization revealed the presence of M. abscessus. Combined treatment with clarithromycin (CAM) and GRNX diminished the patient’s lesion. Treatment was continued for one month, after which the patient’s symptoms were resolved. In summary, we have isolated a fast-growing M. abscessus complex in the otorrhea of a patient with chronic otitis media that was successfully treated with CAM and GRNX.
