Imaging findings in a patient with saliva in the auditory canal

A 78-year-old female presented with complaints of unilateral clear otorrhea, which worsened after consuming meals. The complaints started acutely four weeks before. There were no associated complaints of otalgia, craniofacial pain, hearing loss or tinnitus. During clinical examination, otomicroscopy revealed marked edema of the external ear canal with a limited amount of clear fluid and debris, and a normal tympanic membrane, as well as an anterior canal wall which was highly mobile during jaw movement. Pure tone audiometry showed bilateral symmetrical high frequency sensorineural hearing loss. Repetitive culture of the debris in the ear canal only detected commensal flora.