[Diagnosis and therapy of the so-called malignant external otitis (author's transl)].

The malignant external otitis is characterized by the following symptoms: Severe neuralgic pain in the deep ear region is found in the elderly diabe-the cases with a facial palsy due to the infection of the outer ear. In more than 50 percent of the cases with a facial palsy due to the infection the further course was letal (Chandler 1968). A new surgical treatment of the malignant external otitis (Naumann 1977) is presented: After the adequate excision of all infected tissue and cartilage a perforated polyethylen-tube is placed into the infected area along the base of the skull. The combined therapy of a parenteral and local administration of antibiotics helps to improve the bad prognosis of the malignant external otitis.