MANAGMENT OF EXTERNAL AUDİTORY CANAL FOREİGN BODİES: EVALUATİON OF 117 CASES
Düzce Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz AD, Düzce, Türkiye Objective: To investigate clinical manifestations, age-related diversity, side of presentation and treatment protocols of the patients with external auditory canal foreign bodies.Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients who were treated for external auditory canal foreign body between January 2010 and August 2013. The age, gender, type of foreign body, side of presentation, signs and symptoms, management practices and outcomes was recorded.
Results: We evaluated 117 patients (57 females, 60 males; mean age 27.11 ± 22.71 years; range 3 month to 80 years). Fifty-three patients in our study were children under age of 16 and 64 patients were adults. The side of presentation is similar (49.57% vs 48.71%) and 2 patients (3.41%) having bilateral presentation. The most common foreign bodies are insects (25.64%) and seeds of corn, grass and many others (15.38%). Beads, seeds and plastic toy parts were the most common foreign bodies in children on the other hand insects and cotton buds were the most common in adults.
Conclusion: External auditory canal foreign bodies are encountered not only in children but also common in adult patients. Foreign body caused serious damage If it is not removed cautiously. External auditory canal foreign bodies should be removed under the microscope by ENT physicians. Adults must stop using the cotton buds and become more conscious about selection of children's toys.
Keywords : Bead, cotton bud, external auditory canal, foreign body, insect