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Observation
Clinical Controversies in Otolaryngology
September 2018

Cocaine-Induced Midline Destructive Lesions Associated With Erosion of the Eustachian Tube

Author Affiliations
  • 1Unit of Otolaryngology and Otoneurosurgery, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University-Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
  • 2Unit of Radiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University-Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2018;144(9):846-848. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2018.1387

Cocaine is one of the most popular illicit drugs, and the most frequent route of administration is intranasal inhalation.1,2 Chronic consumption may be associated with the progressive destruction of the osteocartilaginous structures of the nose, paranasal sinuses, and palate.1,2 This clinical picture is also known as cocaine-induced midline destructive lesions (CIMDL). We describe a patient with CIMDL associated with erosion and widening of the eustachian tube. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of eustachian tube erosion in a cocaine user.

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