ABSTRACT
Otic preparations are commonly used to treat diseases of the external ear and occasionally of the middle ear. Diseases of the ear include cerumen impaction, dermatitis of the external ear canal, and infectious processes. External otitis and chronic otitis media constitute the majority of infectious diseases of the ear. This article gives an overview of otic preparations, their uses, current availability, and the area of future development. The normal external auditory canal has several mechanisms that protect it from infections. The S-shaped anatomy of the external auditory canal provides protection from foreign bodies under normal circumstances. Clinical manifestations of the preinflammatory stage of external otitis include itching of the external ear canal and congestion of the apopilosebaceous unit. This is thought to result from the loss of lipids in the external auditory canal that, in turn, results in an increase in the aqueous content of the stratum corneum, causing intracellular edema.
