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Investigation of demodex species frequency in patients with a persistent itchy ear canal treated with a local steroid

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 July 2014

C Cevik ,
O Aycan Kaya ,
E Akbay ,
E Yula ,
E Yengil ,
M I Gulmez  and
E Akoglu
C Cevik*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Mustafa Kemal University School of Medicine, Antakya, Turkey
O Aycan Kaya
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Mustafa Kemal University School of Medicine, Antakya, Turkey
E Akbay
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Mustafa Kemal University School of Medicine, Antakya, Turkey
E Yula
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, Mustafa Kemal University School of Medicine, Antakya, Turkey
E Yengil
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, Mustafa Kemal University School of Medicine, Antakya, Turkey
M I Gulmez
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Mustafa Kemal University School of Medicine, Antakya, Turkey
E Akoglu
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Mustafa Kemal University School of Medicine, Antakya, Turkey
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Cengiz Çevik, Department of Otolaryngology, Mustafa Kemal University School of Medicine, Serinyol, Hatay, Turkey Fax: +90 (326) 245 56 54 E-mail: drccevik@yahoo.com
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Abstract

Objective:

To investigate the frequency of demodex species in the external acoustic meatus in patients with an itchy ear canal.

Methods:

Patients were assigned to one of three groups. Group one consisted of 54 patients with an itchy ear canal who were using a local agent, while group two was composed of 51 patients with an itchy ear canal who were not using a local agent. Group three consisted of 50 healthy individuals without an itchy ear canal.

Results:

Demodex species test results were positive in nine (5.8 per cent) of the cases. Six of these positive cases were in group one, two in group two and one in group three. The frequency of demodex species in the external acoustic meatus was similar between those patients with an itchy ear canal who did not use a local agent and the healthy individuals (p = 0.571), but it was significantly higher in those using a local steroid compared with those not using a local agent (p = 0.046).

Conclusion:

Although demodex species was not significantly higher in patients with an itchy ear canal compared with the control group, use of a local steroid increased the parasite frequency in the external ear canal of affected patients.

Keywords

External Acoustic CanalMitesCorticosteroids
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 128 , Issue 8 , August 2014 , pp. 698 - 701
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2014 

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Footnotes

Presented as a poster at the 35th General Meeting of Turkish Society of Microbiology, 3–7 November 2012, Aydin, Turkey.

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