OBJECTIVE: To report a rare case of tuberculous otitis media, and to highlight barriers to clinical and microbiological diagnosis. METHOD: Case report and literature review. RESULTS: Tuberculous otitis media is a rare cause of chronic ear infection in the UK. Its symptoms may mimic a range of other otological conditions, including otitis media, chronic suppurative otitis media, cholesteatoma and necrotising otitis media. CONCLUSION: This case report highlights the challenges of obtaining a clinical diagnosis of tuberculous otitis media, and emphasises the fact that screening for acid-fast bacilli is not sufficient, in isolation, to rule out mycobacterial infection.
OBJECTIVE: To report a rare case of tuberculous otitis media, and to highlight barriers to clinical and microbiological diagnosis. METHOD: Case report and literature review. RESULTS:Tuberculous otitis media is a rare cause of chronic ear infection in the UK. Its symptoms may mimic a range of other otological conditions, including otitis media, chronic suppurative otitis media, cholesteatoma and necrotising otitis media. CONCLUSION: This case report highlights the challenges of obtaining a clinical diagnosis of tuberculous otitis media, and emphasises the fact that screening for acid-fast bacilli is not sufficient, in isolation, to rule out mycobacterial infection.