EVALUATION OF BACTERIAL COINFECTION IN PATIENTS WITH OTOMYCOSIS IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE

Otomycosis is a common external ear infection frequently seen in tropical regions. While fungi are the primary pathogens, bacterial coinfections are increasingly recognized, complicating treatment outcomes. Objectives: To identify the predominant fungal and bacterial species in otomycosis and to evaluate the coexistence of fungal and bacterial pathogens. Methods: This prospective study included 130 clinically and microbiologically confirmed cases of otomycosis (aged 18–65 years) attending the ENT outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Chennai over six months. Fungal and bacterial isolates were identified using standard microbiological techniques. Results: The majority of patients were aged 26–35 years (30.77%), with a slight female predominance (55.38%). Aspergillus niger was the most common fungus isolated (64.62%), followed by Candida spp. (21.54%). Bacterial growth was observed in 94.61% of samples, with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (38.46%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (20%) being predominant. Notably, A. niger commonly coexisted with MRSA (23.81%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22.62%), while Candida spp. were strongly associated with MRSA (71.43%).