Tuberculous otitis media

Tuberculosis is one of the most common infectious diseases of developing countries including Bangladesh. It rarely affects the middle ear. The objective is to review the literature on tuberculous otitis media and know the facts, incidence, etiology, clinical presentation, investigations and treatment of tuberculous otitis media. It is characterized by painless otorrhoea which fails to respond to the usual antimicrobial treatment, in a patient with evidence of tubercle infection elsewhere followed by multiple tympanic membrane perforations, abundant granulation tissue, and bone necrosis, preauricular lymph node enlargement. Loss of hearing is also found in patients with development of the diseases seen by the otoscopy. Combination chemotherapy is prescribed. Surgery may be required in some cases to remove sequestra and improve drainage. A high level of clinical suspicion is needed for early diagnosis and antitubercular therapy should be started as soon as possible to prevent the possible complication.