Extensive Skull Base Osteomyelitis Secondary to Malignant Otitis Externa.

Skull base osteomyelitis is a severe complication of malignant otitis externa that affects the marrow of the temporal, sphenoid, and occipital bones. Skull base osteomyelitis is usually diagnosed based on clinical, microbiological, and radiological findings. Here, we present the imaging findings of a 76-year-old man who initially presented with right-sided malignant otitis externa, with the involvement of the otomastoid structures and ipsilateral temporal bone. Over the following 3 years, despite specific extended antibiotic therapy, the skull base osteomyelitis entirely involved the skull base, up to the contralateral petrous portion of the temporal bone, and it affected the cervical vertebral processes. This report describes an exceptional extent of unilateral malignant otitis externa with a severe involvement of the skull base on the contralateral side and the cervical spine.

Pneumocystis carinii infection in bilateral aural polyps in a human immunodeficiency virus-positive patient.

Pneumocystis carinii is an opportunistic infection found in patients with impaired immunity. Under favourable conditions the parasite can spread via the blood stream or lymphatic vessels and cause extrapulmonary dissemination. We report a case of P carinii infection presenting as bilateral aural polyps, otitis media and mastoiditis in human immunodeficiency (HIV)-positive patient with no history of prior or concomitant P carinii infection.

Presence of Streptococcus infection in extra-oropharyngeal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and its implication in carcinogenesis.

To investigate the involvement of S. anginosus infection in head and neck cancer in the extra-oropharyngeal cavity, we analyzed 3 DNA samples prepared from squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal and one from squamous cell carcinoma of the skin using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and Southern blot analysis to detect the DNA sequence of S. anginosus. We also examined these four specimens by Gram's stain to detect the streptococcal bacterial bodies. By PCR analysis, the DNA sequence of S. anginosus was found in 4 out of 4 (100%) DNA samples obtained from these tumors. By Southern blot analysis, positive bands were detected in one out of the 3 (33%) samples from the tumor taken from the external auditory canal. We detected streptococcal bacterial bodies in one of the three specimens from the tumor obtained from cancer of the external auditory canal and in the one specimen from the skin cancer by the method of Gram's stain. Contrary to our expectations, these bacterial bodies were located in the middle of the tumor. Since S. anginosus is thought to exist in the mouth as a normal flora and to be located mainly in the gingiva and dental plaque, these data strongly indicate that S. anginosus infection is implicated in the carcinogenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Polyp and fibrous adhesion formation in acute otitis media caused by non-typeable or type b Haemophilus influenzae or Moraxella catarrhalis.

Among a variety of other histopathologic changes, polyps and fibrous adhesions are readily formed in the middle ear mucosa during experimental acute otitis media (AOM) caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Quantitative studies on experimental AOM caused by other bacteria have shown that some of these histopathologic changes, such as adaptive bone modeling and increase in goblet cell density, differ according to the type of bacteria. This investigation surveys polyp and fibrous adhesion formation in experimental AOM caused by either non-typeable or type b Haemophilus influenzae, or Moraxella catarrhalis. Seventy-five rats were inoculated with 1 of these 3 bacteria (25 rats in each of 3 groups). Five rats from each group were sacrificed on days 4, 8, 16, 60 and 180 post-inoculation. The middle ear mucosae were dissected and histopathologic changes in whole-mount and section preparations were studied using light microscopy. Polyps were found in most ears and in the greatest numbers on the early days; fewer polyps were found on the later days, regardless of the type of bacteria. However, non-typeable and type b H. influenzae induced formation of significantly more polyps than M. catarrhalis. The polyps were primarily located in the epitympanum. Fibrous adhesions were primarily located in the hypotympanum and formed in almost all ears, on all days post-inoculation, regardless of the type of bacteria. Numbers increased to a peak on day 16 and then decreased. Non-typeable and type b H. influenzae induced formation of significantly more adhesions than M. catarrhalis, and the middle ears displayed a higher number of persisting adhesions in the animals inoculated with non-typeable H. influenzae. We conclude that polyps and adhesions are formed in experimental AOM regardless of bacterial type, confirming a pathogenesis based on inflammation. Both types of H. influenzae induce formation of greater numbers of polyps/adhesions than M. catarrhalis, and the non-typeable form causes more adhesive sequelae in the mucosa than the encapsulated type b.