Can clubbing tell you about ears?

摘要

In June, 2008, a 60-year-old man was admitted to our hospital, having had persistent pain in both ears for 10 days. He described the pain as dull, and radiating from inside the ears towards the auricles. Nothing seemed to change the intensity of the pain. The patient had no ear discharge, marked hearing loss, tinnitus, or fever. He seemed to have no relevant medical history, although he had smoked cigarettes for many years. A course of antibiotics had been ineffective.