A 10-year-old from North Carolina faced multiple ear problems for over 10 years. The doctors could not reach a diagnosis during this time. Eventually, they diagnosed him with Crohn’s disease.
Over the course of 10 years, the little boy presented with complaints of ear pain, bloody discharge from the ear, and hearing loss. The doctors treated him with antibiotics, eardrops, and numerous other medications. Unfortunately, no treatment seemed to work. Moreover, none of the doctors suspected Crohn’s disease.
“It was like swimmer’s ear; He was really miserable.”
DR. EILEEN M. RAYNOR, A PEDIATRIC HEAD-AND-NECK SURGEON AT DUKE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER WHO TREATED THE BOY
The damaged ears: What could be the next approach?
Dr. Eileen Raynor treated the boy in his clinic. He had presented with red and inflamed ears filled with pus and a narrow ear canal. Moreover, the inflammation had caused extensive damage, and thus the doctors could not visualize his ear canal.
Biopsy reveals all
The doctors performed a biopsy under anesthesia on the boy’s ear and on his skin. The underlying cause was revealed as Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s disease mainly affects the gastrointestinal system but can have extra-intestinal manifestations as well. The other systems that are mainly affected include the skin, eyes, and mouth.
What caused the delay in diagnosis?
The doctors were unable to suspect Crohn’s as the child had no gastrointestinal symptoms. Furthermore, according to Dr. Raynor, this was the first case that he had come across which had only ear symptoms and no abdominal manifestations.
“It really wasn’t on anyone’s radar screen because he didn’t have any GI complaints.
Dr. Raynor
Treatment
Gastroenterologists confirmed his diagnosis and started his treatment with Infliximab. Infliximab is a drug used to treat Crohn’s disease by decreasing the inflammation in the body. Fortunately, the treatment relieved his ear symptoms and he was back to normal in a few days.
