Luc's abscess masquerading as severe otitis externa

Abstract

Luc's abscess is an unusual complication of otitis media. We report a 12-year old boy who presented with severe otitis externa, complicated by a Luc's abscess. He underwent incision and drainage of the abscess without mastoidectomy, followed by 6-weeks of culture-directed antibiotic therapy, and recovered well. This case suggests that Luc's abscess may present as severe otitis externa. It also supports the current literature, that the need for a mastoidectomy may be judged on a case by case basis.