KBB-Forum 2026 , Cilt 25, Sayı 3

EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A TOPICAL MIXTURE OF BACITRACIN, POLYMYXIN B, CLOTRIMAZOLE AND BETAMETHASONE CREAM IN THE TREATMENT OF EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED OTITIS EXTERNA IN RATS

İsmail MAZLUM; 1, MD Dursun Mehmet MEHEL; 2, MD Ayşe ÇEÇEN; 3, MD Asude ÜNAL; 3, MD Doğukan ÖZDEMİR; 3, MD Mustafa BAKIRTAŞ; 4, MD Melek BİLGİN; 5, MD Arzu ERDAL; 6, MD
1BazEkol Balçova Medical Center, Ear, Nose, and Throat, Izmir, Türkiye
2University of Health Sciences, Samsun City Hospital, Otorhinolaryngology Department, Samsun, Türkiye
3Samsun University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology, Samsun, Türkiye
4Samsun City Hospital, Pathology Specialist, Samsun, Türkiye
5Samsun University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Samsun, Türkiye
6Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Samsun, Türkiye Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical, microbiological, and histopathological effects of a topical combination of bacitracin, polymyxin B, clotrimazole, and betamethasone in the treatment of iatrogenic acute otitis externa induced in the external ear canal of rats.

Materials and Methods: A total of 39 adult Wistar albino rats were included. Acute external otitis was created by mechanical trauma to the external auditory canal. The rats were randomly divided into three groups: a control group treated with isotonic saline, a group treated with ciprofloxacin–dexamethasone drops, and a group treated with a combination of bacitracin–polymyxin B ointment, clotrimazole cream, and betamethasone cream. Cultures and histopathological evaluations were performed at multiple time points.

Results: The combination group demonstrated a bacterial eradication rate of 71.4% on day 10, which was significantly higher compared to the control group. Histopathological evaluation showed reduced epithelial thickness and edema in the treatment groups.

Conclusion: The combination therapy may be considered as an alternative treatment for patients with difficulties in regular drop application due to its antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties, weekly application, and low cost. Planned experimental animal studies or clinical trials involving a larger group are needed to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment. Keywords : Bacitracin, Polymyxin B, Clotrimazole, Betamethasone, Otitis externa, Rat model