Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings before and after treatment of patients with malignant external otitis

Treatment Response Evaluation in Necrotizing Otitis Externa Using 18 F-FDG-PET Imaging

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to identify 18 F-FDG-PET imaging features for improving treatment response evaluation in patients with necrotizing otitis externa (NOE), aiding in the difficult differentiation between sterile inflammation and active infection.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Tertiary hospital.

PATIENTS

Patients diagnosed with NOE between 2011 and 2022. NOE criteria included otalgia, otorrhea, granulation, and radiological features consistent with osteomyelitis.

INTERVENTION

18 F-FDG-PET/computed tomography (CT) parameters were derived from manually delineated regions of interest and were evaluated on both pretreatment and end-of-treatment scans.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Recurrent disease of NOE after end-of-treatment 18 F-FDG-PET scans.

RESULTS

This study comprised 20 NOE patients, including 5 (25%) experiencing recurrent disease after the end-of-treatment scan. The end-of-treatment 18 F-FDG-PET parameters of maximal and peak standardized uptake value (SUVmax and SUVpeak) were significantly higher in recurrent cases ( p = 0.025 and p = 0.025, respectively). Both parameters demonstrated good discrimination ability in predicting recurrence, with optimal cutoffs yielding 100% sensitivity and 67% specificity. Other parameters, including mean SUV and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), did not yield significant results, neither did the calculated difference in uptake between end-of-treatment and pretreatment scans.

CONCLUSIONS

SUVpeak on 18 F-FDG-PET was the preferred parameter for treatment response evaluation of NOE at the end-of-treatment scan. A high residual SUVpeak may adequately detect patients at risk for recurrent disease, which may necessitate prolonged treatment, while low SUVpeak is found in patients with low risk for recurrent disease permitting safe treatment cessation.

Role of follow-up gallium scintigraphy in the evaluation of malignant external otitis (skull base osteomyelitis): A case report

Malignant otitis externa (skull base osteomyelitis) can be fatal and long-term antibiotic therapy is recommended. Despite being potentially fatal, this infection causes minor changes in inflammatory biomarkers (white blood cell count and C-reactive protein levels) upon blood testing. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging changes persist over a long period. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the optimal time for the discontinuation of antibiotics. We present a 77-year-old male whose medical history included type 2 diabetes mellitus who suffered from chronic otitis media with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. His condition did not improve with proper treatment, and imaging revealed malignant otitis media. Intravenous cefepime treatment was administered. Antibiotic treatment was de-escalated to oral levofloxacin treatment after Gallium-67 scintigraphy showed less accumulation after 6 weeks of Cefepime administration; accumulation almost disappeared after 1 year. In this report, we describe the usefulness of gallium scintigraphy in the evaluation of malignant otitis externa.

The diagnostic conundrum in necrotizing otitis externa

Necrotizing otitis externa (NOE) is an aggressive and fast-evolving infection of the external auditory canal. Late diagnoses and untreated cases can lead to severe, even fatal consequences and so early diagnosis and treatment are paramount. NOE is a notoriously challenging diagnosis to make. It is therefore important to understand what diagnostic modalities are available and how otolaryngologists can use them to accurately treat such an aggressive disease. This review aims to evaluate the different diagnostic options available in NOE and discuss their advantages and limitations, thus, providing an up-to-date picture of the multimodal approach required in the diagnosis of this disease.

Management and Outcomes of Necrotizing Otitis Externa: A Retrospective Cohort Study in a Tertiary Referral Center

Objectives

Necrotizing otitis externa (NOE) is a rare infection of the ear that causes osteomyelitis. We aimed to evaluate treatment outcomes and the role of imaging in diagnosing and monitoring disease resolution in a single-center study of patients with NOE.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, patients with NOE who were diagnosed and treated in a tertiary otology center in Utrecht, The Netherlands, between January 1, 2013 and August 1, 2022, were included. Data were retrieved from the medical records on demographics, symptoms, physical and diagnostic findings, type and duration of treatment, and course of disease.

Results

A total of 24 cases were included. Patients were often elderly (mean age = 75 years) and diabetic (88%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most commonly found microorganism (63%). Twenty-two cases (92%) received intravenous antibiotic treatment, and 7 cases (29%) received additional systemic antifungal treatment. The mean duration of systemic treatment was 29 weeks. In 20 out of 22 cases (91%), imaging was used to determine the end point of treatment. None of the cases with a total resolution of disease activity (n = 5) on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography-computed tomography imaging at the time of cessation of therapy showed clinical relapse, compared with 1 out of 4 cases on gallium single-photon emission computerized tomography.

Conclusion

Based on the experience from our center, we demonstrated that patients with NOE can successfully be treated with prolonged systemic treatment. Molecular imaging is reasonably successful for disease evaluation and decision-making on the eradication of disease.

Advanced imaging of head and neck infections

When head and neck infection is suspected, appropriate imaging contributes to treatment decisions and prognosis. While contrast-enhanced CT is the standard imaging modality for evaluating head and neck infections, MRI can better characterize the skull base, intracranial involvement, and osteomyelitis, implying that these are complementary techniques for a comprehensive assessment. Both CT and MRI are useful in the evaluation of abscesses and thrombophlebitis, while MRI is especially useful in the evaluation of intracranial inflammatory spread/abscess formation, differentiation of abscess from other conditions, evaluation of the presence and activity of inflammation and osteomyelitis, evaluation of mastoid extension in middle ear cholesteatoma, and evaluation of facial neuritis and labyrinthitis. Apparent diffusion coefficient derived from diffusion-weighted imaging is useful for differential diagnosis and treatment response of head and neck infections in various anatomical sites. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI perfusion may be useful in assessing the activity of skull base osteomyelitis. MR bone imaging may be of additional value in evaluating bony structures of the skull base and jaw. Dual-energy CT is helpful in reducing metal artifacts, evaluating deep neck abscess, and detecting salivary stones. Subtraction CT techniques are used to detect progressive bone-destructive changes and to reduce dental amalgam artifacts. This article provides a region-based approach to the imaging evaluation of head and neck infections, using both conventional and advanced imaging techniques.

Necrotizing external otitis: analysis of relapse risk factors in 66 patients managed during a 12 year period

BACKGROUND

Necrotizing external otitis (NEO) is a severe infection of the skull base that occurs generally in the elderly and/or in diabetic recipients. There are few data in the literature about the therapeutic management of this complex bone infection.

OBJECTIVES

To analyse relapses after NEO treatment completion, and to describe the clinical features of NEO.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study in the Lyon regional reference centre for the management of complex bone and joint infections. Consecutive cases of NEO from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2018 were included. The primary outcome was the relapse of NEO. Variables were analysed using Cox regression survival analysis with adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and Kaplan-Meier curve.

RESULTS

Sixty-six patients were included. Median age was 75 (IQR 69-81) years and 46 (70%) patients were diabetic. Eleven patients (17%) had temporomandibular arthritis, 10 (15%) cranial nerve paralysis, 2 (3%) cerebral thrombophlebitis, and 2 (3%) contiguous abscess. Microbiological documentation was obtained in 56 patients and revealed Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 44/56 patients (79%). Nine (14%) cases had no microbiological documentation. Antibiotic therapy was dual for 63 (95%) patients. During a median follow-up of 27 (IQR 12-40) months, 16 out of 63 (25%) patients experienced a relapse. Fungal infection was significantly associated with relapse [aHR 4.1 (95% CI 1.1-15); P = 0.03].

CONCLUSIONS

NEO is a severe bone infection, mainly (but not exclusively) caused by P. aeruginosa, which occurs in elderly and diabetic recipients. Fungal infections at baseline significantly impact the outcome.

Diagnostic approach to patients at risk of otogenic skull base osteomyelitis

BACKGROUND

Otogenic skull base osteomyelitis (OSBO) is rare and potentially fatal sequelae of otitis externa. Accurate and timely diagnosis is important due to rising incidence, morbidity and costs associated with treatment. Consensus on the diagnostic approach for OSBO has yet to be reached, in particular the utility of imaging modalities.

AIMS/OBJECTIVES

This study reviews a single institution's high-volume experience of OSBO, with the aim of analysing clinicopathologic features and imaging studies to develop a diagnostic algorithm.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A retrospective review of patients admitted with OSBO from 2009 to 2019, was performed. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 103 patients with 106 unique episodes of suspected OSBO were selected. De-identified information including patient demographics, clinicopathologic features and imaging outcomes was recorded and analysed.

RESULTS

HbA1c ≥ 7% significantly predicted for OSBO in univariate (OR 7.83, 95% CI 1.85-33.16, p = 0.01) and multivariate analyses (OR 5.21, 95% CI 1.05-25.81, p = 0.04). The CT/technetium-99m/gallium-67 combination produced better diagnostic accuracy for OSBO (AUROC 0.96, 95% CI 0.92-1), when compared to a CT/MRI combination (AUROC 0.86, 95% CI 0.79-0.93).

CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE

Once there is a clinical suspicion for OSBO, diagnosis is established by synthesising results from clinical assessment, pathologic investigations and imaging modalities. The imaging utilised to diagnose OSBO should vary according to the clinical situation and limitations of each modality.

Necrotising Otitis Externa: A Review of Imaging Modalities

Necrotising Otitis Externa (NOE) has often posed some challenges in view of diagnosis and management by clinicians. One such challenge is the appropriate and timely use of imaging techniques since its use is critical not only in diagnosis but also in determining the extent and resolution of the disease. Hence, doctors in both primary and secondary health care need to be familiar with presenting symptoms while specialists need to be appraised of advances in imagining techniques in diagnosis and management of NOE. Whilst there is a general consensus amongst clinicians on some aspects of management of NOE, there is very limited consensus on the use of imaging modalities. There is no single modality of imaging that can provide a complete picture of diagnosis, disease progression and resolution. This review aims to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of various imaging techniques used in the diagnosis and management of NOE over the years and whether a multi-modal imaging technique at particular stages of the disease may provide better management outcomes.

Predictive value of radiologic studies for malignant otitis externa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of Necrotizing Otitis Externa (NOE) based on radiologic studies.

METHODS

The PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar databases were searched. True-positive and false-negative results were extracted for each study. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2) tool.

RESULTS

The included studies contained data on 37 studies diagnosed with NOE. The sensitivity of gallium-67, technetium-99m, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was 0.9378 (0.7688-0.9856), 0.9699 (0.8839-0.9927), and 0.9417 (0.6968-0.9913), respectively. For Computed Tomography (CT), the positive criteria consisted of bony erosion alone and bony erosion plus any soft tissue abnormality. The sensitivity of CT based only on bony erosion was 0.7062 (0.5954-0.7971); it was higher 0.9572 (0.9000-0.9823) when based on bony erosion plus any soft tissue abnormality.

CONCLUSION

The diagnostic sensitivity of technetium-99m, gallium-67, and MRI was favorable. On CT, the presence of bony erosion may be a useful diagnostic marker of NOE, but the diagnostic sensitivity will be even higher if the criterion of any soft tissue abnormality is also included; however, care should be taken when interpreting the results. Our study demonstrates the potential utility of radiology studies for diagnosing NOE, but their lack of specificity must be considered, and standardized anatomic criteria are still needed.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

2A.

Imaging of Acute and Chronic Skull Base Infection

Skull base infections are uncommon but can be life threatening without timely recognition. Imaging plays a crucial role because symptoms can be vague and nonlocalizing. Necrotizing otitis externa in diabetic or immunocompromised patients is the commonest cause of skull base osteomyelitis (SBO), followed by sinogenic infections and idiopathic central SBO. Multiparametric magnetic resonance (MR) and high-resolution CT are the mainstays for establishing a diagnosis and estimating disease extent, with MR being superior in ascertaining marrow and soft tissue involvement. Monitoring treatment response, of which imaging is a fundamental part, is challenging, with emerging promising imaging tools.

Current management of skull base osteomyelitis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Skull base osteomyelitis (SBO) is a life-threatening condition. Due to an aging and increasingly multimorbid population, clinicians are more often challenged with this disease. Yet, there is no consensus on the optimal diagnostic and follow-up management. This review should aid clinicians in decision-making for their patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

Treatment-resistant otalgia or headache is suspicious of SBO. Pseudomonas aeruginosa remains the most common pathogen but clinicians are challenged with increasing rates of sterile or fungal cultures due to previously applied antibiotics/steroids. No single imaging modality is able to detect the full extent of the disease. Whereas functional nuclear imaging with gallium-67 or methylene diphosphonate-technetium-99m was once advocated, its actual benefit is questionable. Newer modalities such as fluoro-D-glucose-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography, PET/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or diffusion-weighted MRI seem to be promising in diagnosis and follow-up. Finding the causative pathogen is of utmost importance followed by long-term intravenous antibiotics until the disease has completely resolved. Surgery plays a minor role in treatment but can be helpful in selected cases.

SUMMARY

The numerous challenges in SBO render management difficult, but with a clear work-up including regular clinical, laboratory and imaging examinations, outcome can be improved.

Prognosticating patients with necrotising otitis externa based on response to treatment

INTRODUCTION

Necrotising otitis externa (NOE) is a severe infection of the temporal bone. The traditional severity based staging system does not fully prognosticate all patients with NOE. We hypothesise that a patient response staging system would more accurately capture the disease process and guide prognosis.

METHODS

We carried out a retrospective notes review of patients diagnosed with NOE from January 2017 to December 2018 in a regional tertiary referral centre. Patient outcomes from our proposed patient response staging system were compared to a modified previously published severity based Gleeson staging system with patients requiring prolonged treatment classified as having a poor outcome.

RESULTS

A total of 34 patients were treated for NOE. The majority were male (n=24) and had diabetes (n=25). Patients with the most severe Gleeson staging did not have the worst outcome. Daily delay in resolution of otorrhoea was associated with an increased need for more than six weeks of treatment. Rapid responders are patients who had resolution of otalgia, otorrhoea and C-reactive protein normalisation within 14 days, and all were cured following standard 6 weeks of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The Gleeson staging system was valuable in assessing the extent of disease and all early Gleeson staged patients had good outcomes. However, patients with higher severity staging on the Gleeson system did not necessarily require prolonged treatment. There is a role for a joint approach in staging patients based on both modified Gleeson and treatment response, which would subsequently guide prognosis, duration of treatment and early diagnosis of potential fungal NOE.

Imaging in the Diagnosis and Management of Necrotizing Otitis Externa: A Survey of Practice Patterns

OBJECTIVE

To survey neurotologists and head and neck radiologists regarding use of imaging in the diagnosis and management of necrotizing otitis externa (NOE).

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey study.

SETTING

Online survey distributed through email to specialty society membership lists.

PARTICIPANTS

Neurotologists and head and neck radiologists with membership in either the American Neurotology Society or The American Society of Head and Neck Radiology.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Responses to survey consisting of two demographic and seven clinically oriented questions related to the use of imaging in the diagnosis and management of NOE.

RESULTS

One hundred thirty-six participants responded to the survey. The imaging modality of choice in establishing the diagnosis of NOE selected by the respondents was computed tomography (CT) (37.5%) followed by technetium scintigraphy (21.3%). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was the preferred investigation by 41.9% of participants for determining extent of disease. Gallium scanning was the imaging modality preferred by 32.4% of respondents for determining when to cease medical therapy. Ninety-five percent of participants responded that CT scans were always or frequently used in the diagnosis and management of NOE compared with 72.8% for MRI, 34.5% for gallium scans, and 34.2% for technetium scans.

CONCLUSIONS

There is considerable heterogeneity in the preferred imaging modalities used in the diagnosis and management of NOE. CT and MRI are the preferred contemporary modalities used by many physicians, demonstrating a shift away from the historic use of nuclear medicine scans.

Malignant otitis externa, an increasing burden in the twenty-first century: review of cases in a UK teaching hospital, with a proposed algorithm for diagnosis and management

Background

Malignant otitis externa is a potentially fatal infection of the skull base. With an ageing population and increasing prevalence of diabetes, the incidence of malignant otitis externa in the British population is rising. To date, there remain no accepted diagnostic criteria, few prognostic indicators and no consensus treatment pathways.

Method

A prospective case series was conducted at a tertiary referral teaching hospital.

Results

A cohort of susceptible individuals predominates (elderly, male, with immunosuppression and diabetes), with 25 per cent reporting a preceding incident. Otorrhoea, otalgia and canal granulation were the commonest presenting features, alongside positive pseudomonas cultures. No clear markers for predicating disease severity were isolated; however, a high initial haemoglobin A1c level demonstrated a significant moderately positive correlation with length of treatment.

Conclusion

A treatment pathway designed to provide a standardised approach to investigation and treatment is proposed, which aims to increase earlier diagnosis, streamline care and facilitate the development of best practice.

FDG-PET/CT for diagnosis and follow-up of necrotizing (malignant) external otitis

OBJECTIVE

Imaging is important for the diagnosis and follow-up of necrotizing external otitis (NEO). The best imaging modality is controversy. To suggest 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18] fluoro-D-glucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) as an alternative to technetium-99m and gallium-67 scans for diagnosis and assessment of response to treatment for patients with NEO.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series.

METHODS

Tertiary referral center. From 2013 through 2017, 12 patients were diagnosed with NEO based on clinical features and positive FDG uptake within the temporal bone on PET/CT. Mean age was 74 ± 11.5; 83% of the patients were male; and 83% had diabetes.

RESULTS

PET/CT scans were reviewed independently by two nuclear medicine specialists. Imaging located osteomyelitis in external ear canal, mastoid, temporomandibular joint, and nasopharyngeal region (100%, 50%, 16%, 8%, respectively). Mean follow-up was 16 months. Eight patients (67%) underwent a second PET/CT scan after active otitis resolved and after at least 6 weeks of antibiotic treatment. The scan demonstrated no or substantially reduced FDG uptake and treatment was stopped. The patients had no NEO symptoms at the end of follow-up. One patient had significant uptake, and antibiotic treatment was continued until a third scan demonstrated no FDG uptake. Two patients died before the second PET/CT, and two were lost to follow-up.

CONCLUSION

18F-FDG-PET/CT is a reliable imaging modality for diagnosis, disease localization, and decision making regarding treatment cessation. 18F-FDG-PET/CT should be considered as the imaging modality of choice for initial diagnosis and follow-up in NEO patients. Larger, controlled studies are warranted.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

4 Laryngoscope, 129:961-966, 2019.

99mTc-HMPAO-leukocyte scintigraphy for diagnosis and therapy monitoring of skull base osteomyelitis

Objective

Skull base osteomyelitis (SBO) is a rare but life‐threatening disease observed in elderly diabetic patients, with high risk of recurrence and difficult therapeutic management. The diagnosis is ascertained from a set of clinical, biological, and imaging findings. CT and MRI allow initial diagnosis, but are not accurate to affirm healing at the end of therapy. 99mTc‐HMPAO‐Leucocyte Scintigraphy (LS) is highly sensitive and specific for the detection of infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate LS i) for initial diagnosis, and ii) to confirm healing at the end of antibiotherapy in SBO.

Study design

We retrospectively reviewed from November 2011 to September 2015 all patients with confirmed SBO who underwent LS twice, at diagnosis and at the end of antibiotic therapy in our nuclear medicine department (n = 27).

Methods

Clinical, biological, CT, LS, and follow‐up data were recorded in all patients. LS images (planar and tomographic performed 4 hours and 24 hours after intravenous injection of autologous Tc‐99m‐HMPAO‐leucocytes) were visually assessed and quantified.

Results

At initial diagnosis, 25 of 27 patients had a positive LS. At the end of antibiotic therapy (3 ± 1 months duration), 26 of 27 patients had a negative LS. During subsequent follow‐up (= or >6 months), the disease recurred in four patients including three with a negative postantibiotherapy LS scan.

Conclusion

In this retrospective study, LS was powerful for initial diagnostic of SBO and for healing assessment at the end of antibiotic therapy. We conclude it is a useful technique for therapeutic monitoring of SBO.

Level of Evidence

4

[The infections of the ear]

In front of external otitis in spite of a well-conducted treatment, especially in immunodeficient patient, it is always necessary to look for an osteomyelitis of the skull base that requires an urgent parenteral antibiotic treatment of several weeks. Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most common bacterial infection of the child. In children under 2 years with purulent AOM, antibiotic therapy with amoxicilline is systematic for a period of 8-10 days. After 2 years of age and with mild symptoms of AOM, symptomatic treatment may be justified as first-line treatment. Chronic otitis media is frequent after an episode of AOM and becomes chronic only after 3 months of evolution. Grommets reduce the frequency of AOM episodes. All AOM complicated with meningitis requires monitoring by audiogram and MRI of the ear.

Malignant otitis externa in a healthy non-diabetic patient

A healthy 60-year-old male was initially treated for external otitis, and subsequently received multiple surgeries including abscess drainage, temporal bone debridement, canaloplasty of the external auditory meatus, and fistula excision and was treated with numerous antibiotics at another hospital over a 1-year period. He was seen at our hospital on February 14, 2014 with a complaint of a non-healing wound behind the left ear and drainage of purulent fluid. He had no history of diabetes mellitus or compromised immune function. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies at our hospital showed osteomyelitis involving the left temporal, occipital, and sphenoid bones, the mandible, and an epidural abscess. Routine blood testing and tests of immune function were normal, and no evidence of other infectious processes was found. He was diagnosed with malignant otitis externa (MOE). Bone debridement and incision and drainage of the epidural abscess were performed, and vancomycin was administered because culture results revealed Corynebacterium jeikeium, Corynebacterium xerosis, and Enterococcus faecalis. MOE should be considered in healthy patients with external otitis who fail initial treatment.

Necrotizing otitis externa: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To carry out a systematic review of scientific evidence available about necrotizing otitis externa, emphasizing epidemiologic data, diagnosis criteria, treatment protocols, follow-up criteria, prognosis factors, and chronologic evolution.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed/MEDLINE and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched for publications in English and French languages, between 1968 and October 1, 2011.

STUDY SELECTION

We included publications of all types including at least 6 cases. We excluded publications focused on cranial base osteomyelitis not originating from the external ear and publications limited to a specific population.

DATA EXTRACTION

We assessed publication quality according to international guidelines.

DATA SYNTHESIS

For each publication, data were entered in a spreadsheet software for analysis. We excluded individual data already published in other studies or reviews.

CONCLUSION

Our review revealed the absence of strong scientific evidence regarding diagnosis criteria, treatment protocols and follow-up criteria. This implies the use of highly empirical indexes of suspicion in clinical practice. Our review confirmed the existence of a typical but not exclusive population at risk (aged, male, and diabetic patient) and also revealed major issues: lack of primary prevention in population at risk, delays before referral and management, bacteriologic issues caused by antibiotic misuse (agent identification problems, rise of resistant strains), persistence of recurrent cases. A better diffusion of medical information should help improve the management of this severe disease.

Antibiotic therapy in necrotising external otitis: case series of 32 patients and review of the literature

Necrotising external otitis (NEO) is a rare but severe bone infection, usually due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the management of which is not standardised. Systemic antibiotic therapy is usually prescribed for at least 6 weeks, but no review has been published on this topic. We report our experience and have reviewed the literature regarding antibiotic therapy in NEO. Here we describe a case-series of consecutive NEO cases seen over an 8-year period (2004-2011) in a French tertiary-care teaching hospital. Since 2009 we have shortened the duration of antibiotic therapy to 6 weeks. We also present a review of the literature regarding antibiotic therapy in NEO. We include 32 NEO cases, with positive microbiological cultures in 30 cases. Among the 30 patients with suspected or proven P. aeruginosa infections, 27 received an initial combination therapy of ceftazidime and ciprofloxacin. The duration of antibiotic therapy and length of hospital stay were significantly reduced after 2009 (9.4 ± 3.2 weeks versus 5.8 ± 0.7, P < .0.001; and 18.2 ± 8.7 days versus 11.6 ± 6.9, P = .0.03, respectively). Patient outcomes were favorable in all cases, with a 14-month median duration of follow-up. Our literature review (30 case series) shows that initial combination therapy is associated with better outcomes as compared with single therapy (97 % versus 83 %, P < .0.001). We suggest 3 weeks of initial combination therapy (ceftazidime + ciprofloxacin, high doses) followed by 3 weeks single therapy with ciprofloxacin in susceptible P. aeruginosa NEO. A close collaboration between ear, nose and throat and infectious diseases specialists is needed.