Under high power one can sometimes get a view resembling a field of mushrooms. Otomycosis is more difficult to treat but will respond to suctioning, antifungals and acidification. Malignant otitis externa usually presents in a diabetic patient and is a pseudomonas osteomyelitis of the skull base. Typically granulation tissue or exposed bone will be encountered in a diabetic with severe pain. Furunculosis is an abscess of a hair follicle confined to the fibrocartilagenous portion of the external meatus.
Proper treatment requires incision, drainage and oral antibiotics to cover staphylococcus.
Foreign Body Foreign bodies in the external canal are grouped as vegetative or inert. Toddler age children very often place all kinds of objects in various body orifices. Removing an impacted foreign body from the ear of a child requires skill and occasionally general anesthesia.