[Ear diseases and diabetes mellitus].

In the literature there is very little information about the importance of diabetes mellitus for ear diseases. Therefore, this article gives an overview about contact points between endocrinological and otological problems in patients with diseases of the ear and pre-existing diabetes mellitus. In particular the focus is on the impact of diabetes mellitus on patients with external otitis, malignant external otitis, otitis media, sudden sensorineural hearing loss and slowly progressive hearing loss. Diseases, such as osteomyelitis of the lateral skull base, sudden and slowly progressive hearing loss are also discussed in detail.