Jet Fuel Burn of the Ear.

A 20-year-old male aircraft mechanic presented to our clinic with a chief complaint of hearing loss 1 day after getting sprayed with JP-8 (jet propulsion fuel). The patient reported fuel spraying on his face and ears while taking samples from an aircraft. He reported a persistent burning sensation to his face, lasting approximately 8 hours, followed by a left-sided hearing loss. The patient also reported left-sided otorrhea and tinnitus without otalgia. Otoscopic examination of the left ear revealed a diffuse desquamated epithelium along the external auditory canal with significant erythema and edema, with an intact tympanic membrane and no evidence of middle ear effusion (Figure 1). Audiometric testing revealed a mild sloping to moderately severe conductive hearing loss on the left with normal tympanogram (Figure 2). He underwent otomicroscopic evaluation with gentle suctioning and debridement followed by treatment with an ototopical suspension containing ciprofloxacin 0.3% and dexamethasone 0.1% twice a day for 5 days. At 2-week follow-up, he demonstrated an unremarkable examination, with audiogram revealing a full return to normal hearing thresholds. JP-8 chemical exposures typically occur by dermal absorption, pulmonary inhalation, or oral ingestion. These kerosene-based hydrocarbon fuels are complex mixtures of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons with varying toxicants such as toluene, benzene, and xylene. While a review of