2022 Volume 115 Issue 3 Pages 203-208
A patient with chronic suppurative otitis media caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa received multidisciplinary treatment consisting of glycemic control, antibiotics, and surgery. An 88-year-old woman with an infected ear, characterized by tympanic membrane perforation and purulent otorrhea, was treated with antibiotic ear drops at a previous hospital and received oral antibiotics and other ear treatment at our department. However, no improvement was observed, and she could not use a hearing aid. Assuming that the persistent infection was associated with diabetes mellitus, we implemented glycemic control, followed by treatment with intravenous antibiotics and surgery. The surgical procedure was modified, and we grafted a thin slice of cartilage with the perichondrium, which is durable for an infected ear. The postoperative course was favorable. Epithelialization of the graft site was complete by one and a half months after the surgery, and the patient could wear hearing aids again. In patients with diabetes mellitus and chronic suppurative otitis media caused by P. aeruginosa, the infection often persists, and multidisciplinary treatment appears to be effective for controlling the infection.
