Ant in ear: rare tinnitus event discovered in Graz

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Von: WOM

In Graz, a 42-year-old woman has had an extraordinary and unusual experience that led to a sudden tinnitus. The tinnitus, an annoying bell or sum in the ear, was caused by a living ant that had sneaked through a hole in the eardrum into the middle ear of the patient, as ENT specialists from the Medical University of Graz report.

The patient was brought into the outpatient clinic with symptoms such as a oppressive feeling in the ear and the agonizing tinnitus. During the examination with an ear microscope, the doctors not only discovered an oval hole in the eardrum, but also a movable "foreign body" - a living ant that had nestled in the middle ear. This illustrates the rather rare, but possible fact that insects can reach the inside of the ear via the eardrum.

surgical intervention required

First attempts to remove the ant under local anesthesia were unsuccessful, which is why the doctors determined to carry out an surgical intervention under general anesthesia. During this endoscopic intervention, they were able to successfully remove the ant and the operation went without complications. The patient was able to leave the hospital the next day, and the hearing problems were completely eliminated.

The specialists emphasized that this case underlines the need for a timely surgical intervention in order to avoid possible complications. Foreign bodies that get into the middle ear are rare, while insects occur more frequently in the external ear canal. Compared to the usual cases in which fly larvae were found in the ear, this special incident in Graz is quite unique. According to reports from the ENT specialists, there are some similar cases in international literature, but the idea that an ant penetrates into the middle ear is a particularly extraordinary scenario.

This incident has aroused the interest of the medical world, not least because of the rare circumstances under which living insects can get into the human body. The doctors make it clear that it is important to pay attention to signs of early symptoms and to immediately see a specialist in the ear in the ear in the ear in order to make the correct diagnosis at an early stage and to be able to intervene if necessary. Further information on this extraordinary medical case is in the article by www.kleinezeitung.at to read.