Hydrocortisone Aceponate for Chronic Otitis: Long-Term Efficacy.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Dermatology
• Canine Medicine

Background:

• Effective management of otitis externa (OE) is crucial to prevent chronicity and recurrence.
• Limited evidence exists on the long-term efficacy of topical corticosteroids for preventing OE recurrence and secondary infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of hydrocortisone aceponate (HCA) in resolving non-infectious chronic or recurrent (CR)-OE.
• To assess HCA's ability to prevent recurrence of acute episodes and secondary infections in dogs.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, noncontrolled study of 63 dogs (115 ears) with non-infectious CR-OE.
• Dogs received HCA 0.584 mg/mL, with treatment phases adapted to otitis severity (OTIS3 scale).
• Inclusion criteria: recurrent otitis for ≥1 year or chronic otitis for ≥1 month.

Main Results:

• Recurrence was not observed in 79.1% of ears during a mean follow-up of 202.6 days.
• Recurrence after treatment discontinuation occurred in 29.17% of relapsed ears.
• Higher recurrence rates were linked to therapy cessation and recent bacterial otitis; no adverse effects were noted.

Conclusions:

• Hydrocortisone aceponate (HCA) is an effective and safe option for managing non-infectious CR-OE.
• HCA reduces recurrence rates and improves the quality of life for both canine patients and their owners.