Local chemotherapy of selected bacterial infections of the ear

The most important infections seen by an otologist are bacterial infections of the outer ear canal (diffuse external otitis), of the middle ear with a defect in the tympanic membrane (chronic suppurative otitis media) and of the mastoid cavity after surgery. These bacterial infections are very common. The frequency is not documented satisfactorily in the medical literature, but from my personal experience I estimate that, in West Germany, 0 multiplied by 1-0 multiplied by 2% of the population (60,000-120,000 people) suffer from chronic otitis media, with an average of two suppurative periods per year, and a further 0 multiplied by 6-1 multiplied by 2 million people suffer from otitis externa.