Search

The clinical efficacy and safety of orally administered ofloxacin (400 mg twice daily) were evaluated in 24 adult patients (17 men and 7 women; mean age, 65.8 years) with pseudomonal invasive external otitis (IEO). The patients were divided into two groups: group A, (n = 9) suffering from a mild form of IEO, and group B (n = 15), suffering from a more severe form of the disease. Diabetes mellitus was the main underlying disease in these patients. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the only pathogen in 18 infected ears and part of the polymicrobial flora in an additional 6. Cure was observed in 83.3% of the patients. Two of the cured patients required more than one course of ofloxacin treatment. Development of P aeruginosa resistant to ofloxacin (n = 3) and severe allergic reaction (n = 1) required the discontinuation of ofloxacin therapy. Other side effects such as nausea, arthralgia, and vaginal itching were minimal. Oral administration of ofloxacin seems to be an effective, convenient, relatively safe, and economical therapy of IEO caused by the susceptible organism.

Perusal of the literature revealed that until 1970, 13 children with malignant melanoma of the head and neck had been reported. This group includes two cases of melanoma that developed in a giant cell nevus, as well as one case of congenital melanoma. The biologic features of prepubertal melanoma appear basically analogous to those of the adult variety. Malignant melanoma of the auricle is described in a 2 1/2-year-old child. Surgical therapy was given, and BCG vaccination was used as an adjuvant. The patient is alive and free of signs of the disease 2 1/2 years following the operation. This appears to be the third reported case of malignant melanoma of the external ear in a child.

A case is described of sudden unilateral deafness associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The hearing function of the patient returned to normal on the third day of treatment with tetracycline. M pneumoniae is a common causative agent of protean respiratory disease and the true incidence of hearing loss in these cases may be higher than reflected by the occasional reports. Therefore, appropriate laboratory studies should be included in the evaluation of sensorineural loss associated with diverse infections of the respiratory tract. Prompt diagnosis facilitates the administration of specific treatment. However, the actual contribution of tetracyclines to restoration of hearing cannot be assessed.