Perforated eardrum due to fungal infection of the ear canal

Diabetic patients have persistent ear itching but do not get examined, causing ear canal fungus to develop, causing eardrum perforation, bone necrosis, and near deafness.

For the past few months, Mr. Vu Khang (36 years old, Cu Chi) has often had an itchy right outer ear. Out of habit, he often puts his little finger in to scratch and pick. After a while, the skin on his ear peels off, sometimes until it bleeds and he has hearing loss with increasing pain. He asked his wife to check and found that his ear canal is red, the skin is thin and peeling, there is yellow ear fluid, and when he puts it close to his nose, he smells a foul odor.

On June 21, he went to Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for a check-up. Master, Doctor, Specialist I Diep Phuc Anh (ENT Center) said that Mr. Khang had type 2 diabetes as an underlying disease, so he was at high risk of fungal infection. When he had a fungal infection in the external ear canal, he did not seek medical attention, causing the infection to last, leading to a perforated eardrum, ear effusion, and the beginning of mastoid necrosis (the bone behind the ear). He needed immediate treatment to prevent the infection from spreading to the intracranial tissue, which would be life-threatening. After mastoid surgery and antibiotic treatment, the infection and fungus were completely resolved. Two weeks later, the patient's hearing was completely restored.

Otitis externa is a fairly common ENT disease that causes persistent discomfort to patients if not treated properly. The disease often occurs in tropical countries with high humidity. People with chronic diseases such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, immunodeficiency syndrome... have a weak immune system and are at high risk of fungal attacks.

Although symptoms usually occur in the external ear canal, if not treated early and properly, it can progress to a severe condition that causes a perforated eardrum, hearing loss, and life-threatening complications in the brain (meningitis, brain abscess, etc.).

People with ear fungus often have itchy, painful ears. Photo: Freepik — People with ear fungus often have itchy, painful ears. Photo: *Freepik*

Doctor Phuc Anh recommends that people with symptoms of itchy ears, foul-smelling ear discharge, increased ear pain, tinnitus, hearing loss, peeling skin of the ear canal leading to thinness, redness, easy bleeding when scratching... should see an ENT specialist. If the external ear canal fungus is mild, it can be treated with antifungal drugs, antibiotics as prescribed by a doctor. If the condition is severe, with complications such as mastoiditis, perforated eardrum..., surgery will help resolve the infection and restore hearing to the patient.

To prevent ear canal fungus, people should clean their ears properly, use earplugs when swimming, and dry their ears with cotton swabs after bathing. Do not injure the ears and do not remove earwax with unsterile tools to avoid spreading the disease.

Patients with immunodeficiency require regular ear care and examination. This helps to detect ear infections early so that they can be treated promptly. Diabetics with ear fungus should control their blood sugar to prevent complications.

Nguyen Phuong

The patient's name has been changed.

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