Foreign body in the ear

4 Interesting Facts of Foreign body in the ear

1. A subtle foreign body in the external auditory canal can mimic otitis externa; a retained foreign body can cause otitis externa
2. Can present similarly to otitis externa with ear discomfort and otorrhea; otorrhea tends to be purulent and foul smelling, often improves with antibiotic treatment and then recurs after antibiotics are stopped
3. Foreign body is often visible in external auditory canal on examination
4. Differentiate by history and physical examination