ABSTRACT
A 19-year-old Caucasian woman attends the outpatient clinic with a 2-day history of left-sided earache. The pain has worsened in the past 24 hours and she describes some seepage from the affected ear. Over the past few weeks her left ear has felt ‘blocked’ and she has been using cotton wool buds to clean them. Her hearing is not impaired. She is afebrile (36.7°C). On examination, the pain is worsened on superior movement of the auricle. There is a scanty discharge emerging from the left ear. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
