An Unusual Cause of Acute Otitis Externa in an Infant

An 8-month-old female presented with fever, ear pain with discharge, and a facial rash. The patient was initially diagnosed by her pediatrician with bacterial otitis media but did not improve on oral antibiotics. Subsequent evaluation by Otolaryngology found the child to have otitis externa caused by Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). The patient was successfully treated without sequela. This atypical case of HSV otitis externa serves to highlight the inclusion in the differential diagnosis of an otologic infection in an infant.