What is malignant external otitis?
External otitis Ear Canal Infection (Swimmer's Ear) External otitis is an infection of your ear canal (the tube that connects the outside of your ear to your eardrum). It differs from a middle ear infection (otitis media), which is an infection... read more is an infection of your ear canal (the tube that connects the outside of your ear to your eardrum). "Malignant" doesn't mean it's cancer, it just means the external otitis is very serious and can be life-threatening. It's serious because the infection has spread from your ear canal into the surrounding bone of your skull.
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Although it's called "malignant," malignant external otitis isn't a type of cancer
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The risk of malignant external otitis is higher if you have diabetes Diabetes Diabetes is a disease in which your blood sugar (glucose) levels are too high. You get diabetes if your body's normal way of controlling blood sugar isn't working right. There are 2 types of... read more or a weakened immune system Overview of the Immune System The immune system is your body's defense system. It helps protect you from illness and infection. The immune system's job is to attack things that don’t belong in your body, including: Germs... read more
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If untreated, it can spread and can paralyze the nerves in your face so that you're unable to move parts of your face
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Doctors treat malignant external otitis with antibiotics into your vein through an IV
What are the symptoms of malignant external otitis?
How can doctors tell if I have malignant external otitis?
Doctors will do a CT scan Computed Tomography A CT scan uses a large machine shaped like a large donut to take x-rays from many angles. A computer then takes the x-rays and creates many detailed pictures of the inside of your body. Each... read more 
to look for infection in the bone around your ear. They’ll also take samples of tissue and fluid from your ear to find out what types of bacteria are causing your infection.
