Bullous myringitis haemorrhagica or bullous myringitis is a painful medical condition characterized by an infection of the eardrum or tympanic membrane.Bullous myringitis is an infection on or around the

tympanic membrane In the anatomy of humans and various other tetrapods, the eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane or myringa, is a thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear. Its function is to transmit sound from the air ...

that results in fluid-filled blisters that look like bubbles.

Symptoms and signs

Patients with Bullous myringitis haemorrhagica commonly experience severe

ear pain Ear pain, also known as earache or otalgia, is pain in the ear. Primary ear pain is pain that originates from the ear. Secondary ear pain is a type of referred pain, meaning that the source of the pain differs from the location where the pain i ...

, which is the most significant and prevalent symptom. Additionally, a slight blood-colored, watery discharge may occur if the bullae rupture, and mild

deafness Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...

can be observed.

Causes

Bullous myringitis, often caused by viruses and sometimes by bacteria, inflames the eardrum, forming fluid-filled blisters. It can be associated with middle or external ear infections but the main focus on the eardrum and nearby skin.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing bullous myringitis involves using an

otoscope An otoscope or auriscope is a medical device which is used to look into the ears. Health care providers use otoscopes to screen for illness during regular check-ups and also to investigate ear symptoms. An otoscope potentially gives a view of ...

to spot distinctive white sack-like structures on the

eardrum In the anatomy of humans and various other tetrapods, the eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane or myringa, is a thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear The outer ear, external ear, or auris externa is the extern ...

. Ear pain is the primary complaint. However, differentiating it from

acute otitis media Otitis media is a group of inflammatory diseases of the middle ear. One of the two main types is acute otitis media (AOM), an infection of rapid onset that usually presents with ear pain. In young children this may result in pulling at the ear, ...

can be difficult, leading to early misdiagnosis.The rarity of bullous myringitis, especially compared to acute otitis media, can result in common misdiagnoses. Practitioners often mistake it for the more prevalent condition, leading to delayed or incorrect treatment.

Differential diagnosis

Bullous myringitis, when mistaken for

, can lead to complications . Recurring episodes may persist even after completing antibiotics. To avoid misdiagnosis, doctors should keep bullous myringitis in mind during diagnosis for timely treatment.

Treatment

Treating bullous myringitis involves strong oral

antibiotics An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention o ...

to fight the infection, which might take some time to fully go away. It's important to get the right dose based on the infection's severity.Pain is managed with oral

painkillers An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of Pharmaceutical drug, drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or p ...

, and in severe cases, a first dose of intravenous pain relief may be given before switching to oral medication.

Etymology

The condition can be understood via looking at the different words, and hence understanding about the disease. for example, ''Bullous'': The term "bullous" derives from the Latin word "bulla," meaning bubble, indicating the presence of these fluid-filled structures.

References

{{Medicine, state=collapsed Diseases of middle ear and mastoid