[Otologic manifestation of Wegener granulomatosis].

Ever since Wegener first described the granulomatosis named after him, involvement of the middle ear tracts as a consequence of inflammatory changes in the nose and the nasopharynx has been known. In recent years there have been a remarkable number of reports on a primary affection of the mucosa of the middle ear with Wegener's granulomatosis. The corresponding symptoms clearly precede the affection of the typical parts of predilection in the upper respiratory tract. A 37-year old woman patient is reported to have fallen ill with a primary left-sided serous otitis media. Only several months later the changes typical of Wegener's granulomatosis concerning the nasal mucosa, trachea and especially the kidneys set in. The differential diagnostic difficulties appear with respect to the classification of inflammatory granulomatosis of the mucosa of the middle ear. The now valid concept of chemotherapy regarding treatment with cyclophosphamide and corticosteroids. Premature therapy can achieve encouragingly long remission of a relatively high number of cases of this disease.