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Otitis externa is inflammation of the external ear. ICD-10-CM defines the following types:
Abscess: Bacterial infection of the hair follicles. Includes furuncles (also called boils, red inflammed bumps which become pus-filled within a couple days) and carbuncles (multiple furuncles grouped together into one)
Cellulitis: Common bacterial infection and inflammation of the skin
Malignant: Generally a complication following "swimmer's ear". The bacteria persists due to lack of treatment, compromised immune system, or having a resistant nature. The infection spreads to surrounding tissue and bone, and causes necrosis.
Other infective: Includes diffuse, hemorrhagic, swimmer's ear (bacterial infection of the ear canal when water remains inside it), and other infective not listed above.
Cholesteatoma: While most commonly presented as lesions in the middle ear, cholesteatoma can also surface in the external ear, and is associated with otorrhea. Also included here is keratosis obturans (similar to cholesteatoma but generally acute in nature and associated with large keratin deposits, hearing loss, and severe otalgia)
Acute noninfective: Includes actinic (chemical changes in skin due to radiation), chemical (due to substances in jewelry or cosmetics), contact (due to touching an allergen), eczematoid (related to eczema, an itchy rash which produces abscesses or scaly skin), reactive (includes seborrheic type, with scaly red patches and dandruff), and other acute noninfective not listed above.
Unspecified chronic: Documentation only specifies that the otitis externa is "chronic".
Other: Documentation specifies other type of otitis externa not included above.
Unspecified: Documentation doesn't specify the type of otitis externa.
H60.392 - Other infective otitis externa, left ear