Related Experiment Videos
Chronic bilateral otomycosis caused by Aspergillus niger
G S Mishra1, Niral Mehta, M Pal
1Department of ENT, Shree Krishna Hospital and Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad, Gujarat, India. dakshagiri@yahoo.com
Mycoses
|March 5, 2004
Summary
A chronic ear infection caused by Aspergillus niger in a patient unresponsive to medications was successfully treated with mercurochrome. This study highlights mercurochrome as a potential treatment for fungal otitis, especially in developing countries.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Clinical Microbiology
Background:
- Otomycosis, a fungal infection of the ear canal, can be challenging to treat, especially when caused by opportunistic pathogens like Aspergillus niger.
- Chronic and drug-resistant cases necessitate exploring alternative therapeutic agents and diagnostic methods.
Observation:
- A 46-year-old female presented with chronic bilateral otomycosis, exhibiting symptoms like erythema, otalgia, itching, and otorrhoea.
- Microscopic and histopathological examinations confirmed the presence of Aspergillus species, characterized by septate hyphae, conidia, and conidiophores.
Findings:
- The patient, initially unresponsive to various treatments, showed a significant improvement after topical application of a 1% mercurochrome solution.
- Microscopic analysis using potassium hydroxide, Giemsa, phase contrast, Gram, hematoxylin and eosin, and periodic acid-Schiff techniques confirmed the fungal etiology.
Implications:
- Mercurochrome presents a viable and potentially cost-effective treatment option for fungal otitis, particularly in resource-limited settings like India.
- Routine implementation of 'Narayan' stain in laboratories is recommended for accurate identification and morphological study of pathogenic fungi in clinical samples.