A Rare Case in a Child: Actinomycosis of the Middle Ear.

BACKGROUND

Actinomyces is an anaerobic, filamentous bacterium that causes granuloma formation and suppurative infection. Although it is part of the normal flora of the oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract, and genital tract, it is rarely encountered in the middle ear and mastoid cavity.

CASE REPORT: We present the case of a 4-year-old child diagnosed with chronic otitis media who had experienced ear pain and discharge for more than 3 months and whose symptoms did not resolve despite antibiotic therapy. Actinomyces was identified histopathologically in a specimen obtained from the middle ear during endoscopic surgery.

CONCLUSION

This report aims to emphasize that actinomycosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with chronic suppurative otitis media who do not improve with medical treatment.