Unusual Foreign Body in the Middle Ear: Surgical Removal of a Live Ant Entering the Tympanic Cavity Through an Ear Drum Perforation

Kiss, Peter; Pock, Jakob; Habenbacher, Michael; Maitz, Emanuel; Lang, Angelika; Walla, Katharina; Andrianakis, Alexandros

doi:10.3390/diagnostics14222530

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Unusual Foreign Body in the Middle Ear: Surgical Removal of a Live Ant Entering the Tympanic Cavity Through an Ear Drum Perforation

by

Peter Kiss

,

Jakob Pock

,

Michael Habenbacher

,

Emanuel Maitz

,

Angelika Lang

,

Katharina Walla

and

Alexandros Andrianakis

^*

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 26, 8010 Graz, Austria

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Diagnostics 2024, 14(22), 2530; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14222530

Submission received: 20 October 2024 / Revised: 6 November 2024 / Accepted: 11 November 2024 / Published: 12 November 2024

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis and Management in Otology and Neurotology)

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Abstract

This case report details the unusual occurrence of a live ant invading the middle ear cavity through a pre-existing perforation in the tympanic membrane of a 42-year-old female patient. She presented to an outpatient clinic with symptoms of sudden-onset tinnitus (“ringing”) and a foreign body sensation in her left ear. Otomicroscopy revealed an oval-shaped perforation in the posterior part of the left tympanic membrane, through which a dark, moving foreign object was observed in the middle ear. The object was identified as a live ant. Initial attempts to remove the insect under local anesthesia were unsuccessful, necessitating the patient’s admission for surgery. Under general anesthesia, an endoscopic tympanotomy was performed, and the ant was successfully removed without complications. The patient recovered and was discharged the following day. At her follow-up appointment, she remained symptom-free. This case highlights the rare yet possible occurrence of live foreign bodies entering the middle ear through tympanic perforations and the need for timely surgical intervention to prevent complications.

Keywords: tympanon; tympanic membrane perforation; ear surgery; endoscopic tympanotomy; ear disease

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MDPI and ACS Style

Kiss, P.; Pock, J.; Habenbacher, M.; Maitz, E.; Lang, A.; Walla, K.; Andrianakis, A. Unusual Foreign Body in the Middle Ear: Surgical Removal of a Live Ant Entering the Tympanic Cavity Through an Ear Drum Perforation. Diagnostics 2024, 14, 2530. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14222530

AMA Style

Kiss P, Pock J, Habenbacher M, Maitz E, Lang A, Walla K, Andrianakis A. Unusual Foreign Body in the Middle Ear: Surgical Removal of a Live Ant Entering the Tympanic Cavity Through an Ear Drum Perforation. Diagnostics. 2024; 14(22):2530. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14222530

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kiss, Peter, Jakob Pock, Michael Habenbacher, Emanuel Maitz, Angelika Lang, Katharina Walla, and Alexandros Andrianakis. 2024. "Unusual Foreign Body in the Middle Ear: Surgical Removal of a Live Ant Entering the Tympanic Cavity Through an Ear Drum Perforation" Diagnostics 14, no. 22: 2530. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14222530

APA Style

Kiss, P., Pock, J., Habenbacher, M., Maitz, E., Lang, A., Walla, K., & Andrianakis, A. (2024). Unusual Foreign Body in the Middle Ear: Surgical Removal of a Live Ant Entering the Tympanic Cavity Through an Ear Drum Perforation. Diagnostics, 14(22), 2530. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14222530

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Unusual Foreign Body in the Middle Ear: Surgical Removal of a Live Ant Entering the Tympanic Cavity Through an Ear Drum Perforation

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