“Itch” gratification-Insect polyembolokoilamania of the ear

Abstract

Foreign body in the ear is one of the most common conditions encountered at the otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic. Insects, especially live insects present as painful foreign bodies of the external ear. Insects that are most frequently recovered from the ear canal include ticks, bees, beetles, and cockroaches. We present the case report of a 17-year-old girl with recurrent right ear foreign body (live insect) five times in a span of 6 months. This recurrent presentation of the patient on the same side (right) led us to suspect behavioral abnormality. She was diagnosed to have mild intellectual developmental disorder with obsessive compulsive disorder and was treated accordingly. Behavioral problems must be ruled out in recurrent cases of unilateral foreign body ear.