The history of necrotising otitis externa: from clinical observation to conceptual recognition
- 1Department of Otolaryngology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, UK
- 2Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, The University of Manchester Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, UK
Abstract
Objectives: Necrotising otitis externa is a severe, potentially life-threatening infection of the external auditory canal and skull base, first formally described by Chandler in 1968. However, historical literature suggests that its clinical features were recognised long before this, without conceptual unification.
Methods: A narrative historical review was undertaken using primary and secondary sources, including early otological texts, case reports and modern literature.
Results: Descriptions consistent with necrotising otitis externa appear as early as the nineteenth century, with recurrent observations of severe otitis externa, temporal bone involvement and systemic vulnerability. These remained fragmented across diagnostic categories until the mid-twentieth century. Chandler’s work represents a transition from clinical observation to conceptual recognition, providing a unifying framework that enabled consistent diagnosis, comparison and subsequent study of the condition.
Conclusion: The evolution of necrotising otitis externa reflects a process of progressive recognition, offering insight into ongoing challenges in defining and studying the disease in contemporary clinical practice.
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BibTeX
@article{bisbinas2026history,
title = {{The history of necrotising otitis externa: from clinical observation to conceptual recognition}},
author = {Vasiliki Bisbinas and Emma Stapleton},
journal = {The Journal of Laryngology and Otology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1017/s0022215126105210},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022215126105210},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The history of necrotising otitis externa: from clinical observation to conceptual recognition
AU - Vasiliki Bisbinas
AU - Emma Stapleton
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - The Journal of Laryngology and Otology
DO - 10.1017/s0022215126105210
UR - https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022215126105210
AB - Objectives: Necrotising otitis externa is a severe, potentially life-threatening infection of the external auditory canal and skull base, first formally described by Chandler in 1968. However, historical literature suggests that its clinical features were recognised long before this, without conceptual unification. Methods: A narrative historical review was undertaken using primary and secondary sources, including early otological texts, case reports and modern literature. Results: Descriptions consistent with necrotising otitis externa appear as early as the nineteenth century, with recurrent observations of severe otitis externa, temporal bone involvement and systemic vulnerability. These remained fragmented across diagnostic categories until the mid-twentieth century. Chandler’s work represents a transition from clinical observation to conceptual recognition, providing a unifying framework that enabled consistent diagnosis, comparison and subsequent study of the condition. Conclusion: The evolution of necrotising otitis externa reflects a process of progressive recognition, offering insight into ongoing challenges in defining and studying the disease in contemporary clinical practice.
SN - 0022-2151
SN - 1748-5460
ER -