Malignant otitis externa with ecthyma gangrenosum and pneumonia in an infant

Abstract

Necrotizing (malignant) external otitis, an infection involving the temporal and adjacent bones, is a relatively rare complication of external otitis. Ecthyma gangrenosum is a rare and invasive cutaneous infection caused by pseudomonas in the majority of cases. Pseudomonal pneumonia typically occurs in a patient who is immunocompromised and is found to be the most common cause of hospital acquired pneumonia.
We report a rare case of a previously healthy 5 month old infant developing transient neutropenia, presenting to us with malignant otitis externa, ecthyma gangrenosum and pneumonia but without bacteraemia.