Differential diagnosis and treatment of the external auditory canal eczema and fungal infections

ZHANG Jidong; ZHANG Ling; CHEN Wei; MA Jianling; ZHANG Hu; WANG Qianyi; LI Xianlong

Abstract：ObjectiveTo investigate and analyze differential diagnosis and treatment principles of the external auditory infections.MethodsTotal of 131 cases of the external auditory infections in our hospital as research subjects, and the clinical manifestations, pathogens were further compared, to put forward the differential diagnosis points of the external auditory canal eczema and fungal infection. Because the culture took a long time, and the cases included in the study were mostly severe, therefore the cases with the main symptoms of pain were treated with antibiotics, and the cases with the main symptoms of itch were treated with antifungal fluconazole tablet, then the therapeutic effect was observed when patients came to get the culture results of washings one week later.ResultsAmong the 131 patients, there were 127 cases of infection positive, including 61 cases of bacterial infection (57 cases of single strains, 4 cases of 2 kinds of bacteria), 56 cases of fungal infections (53 cases of single strains, 3 cases of 2 kinds of fungus), 10 cases of bacterial + fungus mixed infection. The first visit efficacy was 85.5%, based on the culture results, susceptibility results and treatment effect regimens were adjusted after the first week. Cure rate was 100%. (The longest duration of treatment was up to six weeks: the patient was infected withStaphylococcus aureus andStephanoascus ciferrii mixed infection, treated by antibiotic cefdinir for three weeks, fluconazole tablet for two weeks ).ConclusionThe external ear canal infections can be preliminarily identified of bacterial and fungal infections according to the signs and symptoms. Antibiotics can be firstly applied to the patients with the main symptoms of pain and antifungal fluconazole tablet can be firstly applied to the patients with the main symptoms of itch.