The literature on the treatment of external otitis, especially that of otomycosis, was recently carefully reviewed by Senturia and Wolf.1
Anatomically the external auditory canal is analogous to a test tube in an incubator, with a medium of cerumen and exfoliated epithelium. The body supplies moisture and an even temperature. The canal is easily infected and difficult to treat because of inaccessibility of infected parts.
Mixtures of fungi, molds and bacteria invade the normal glands. They irritate the membranous canal wall, causing edema. The patients complain of itching and proceed to scratch. This brings on an inflammatory reaction with an increase of edema until at times the external auditory canal may become occluded. I have observed cases in which the tympanic membrane was perforated and the middle ear involved by infections of the external auditory canal. More often one sees recurrent otitis media macerating the canal walls and these canal