Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
The role of the microbiome in allergic dermatitis-related otitis externa: a multi-species comparative review.
- Journal:
- Frontiers in veterinary science
- Year:
- 2024
- Authors:
- Houtsaeger, Cyrelle et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Pathobiology Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine
Plain-English summary
This study looks at how the ear canal in different mammals, including pets, is designed to keep out harmful germs and foreign objects. It explains that allergies can change the environment in the ear, making it easier for bad germs to grow and cause infections like otitis externa (an outer ear infection). The researchers suggest that when allergies disrupt the natural defenses of the ear, it can lead to these infections. By understanding how this happens, we might find new ways to prevent or treat ear infections in pets.
Abstract
The external ear canal, characterized by species-specific structural and physiological differences, maintains a hostile environment that prevents microbial overgrowth and foreign body entry, supported by factors such as temperature, pH, humidity, and cerumen with antimicrobial properties. This review combines several studies on the healthy ear canal's structure and physiology with a critical approach to the potential existence of an ear microbiome. We use a comparative multi-species approach to explore how allergic conditions alter the ear canal microenvironment and cerumen in different mammalian species, promoting pathogen colonization. We propose a pathogenetic model in which allergic conditions disrupt the antimicrobial environment of the EEC, creating circumstances favorable for facultative pathogenic micro-organisms likeandspecies, leading to otitis externa (OE). A better understanding of the underpinning mechanisms may lead to innovative approaches to disease mitigation.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39736936/