Reevaluating the Causes of Otitis Externa: A Case Report

A 28-year-old female domestic helper presented to the Ear, Nose, and Throat clinic complaining of three weeks of right otalgia associated with a right blocked ear. The hearing was otherwise normal, and she denied otorrhoea, dizziness or imbalance, ear digging, or water contact, and has no history of ear eczema. She has no other past medical history and no recent travel history. On examination, numerous whitish ovoid lesions were seen lining the entire right external auditory canal (EAC), admixed with debris, and the canal was inflamed. Her tympanic membrane was intact. The contralateral ear was normal. She was diagnosed with otoacariasis. The ear mites were unable to be retrieved for a direct microscopic examination, but based on the ovoid, smooth, and translucent morphology of the mites, they likely belong to the Acaridae or Chortoglyphidae families of mites. She underwent aural toileting for complete removal of the ear mites and was prescribed ear drops containing dexamethasone and polymyxin B sulfate for 2 weeks. She was reviewed using the otomicroscopy technique two weeks later and had made an uneventful recovery with no recurrence of ear mites.