FUNGOUS INFECTIONS OF THE EXTERNAL EAR

Abstract

Otomycosis is neither an uncommon nor a serious disease. Because the whole subject of mycology is receiving increasing attention from clinicians and because of the chaotic situation in regard to treatment of fungous infections, it is thought that a review of today's truth on this subject is justified. Infestation of the aural canal by fungi is a common condition. Of the many thousands of fungi, some twenty have been found to be pathogenic to man. Many of these pathogenic fungi have been found, with varying frequency, in the aural canal and have been thought to be the causal agent in some of the pathologic conditions found in the ear. Of the pathogenic fungi found in cases of otomycosis, the most common are Monilia, Aspergillus, Penicillium and Achorion. Their relative frequency varies in different parts of the world. In China the predominating organism found in the aural canal is Aspergillus. This