Clinical and Endoscopic Response to a Ginger and Virgin Coconut Oil Combination Ointment Compared with Miconazole in Otomycosis: A Prospective Nonrandomized Controlled Comparative Study

Abstract

Background: Otomycosis is a fungal infection of the external auditory canal. This study evaluated the clinical and endoscopic response to a ginger (Zingiber officinale) and virgin coconut oil combination ointment compared with miconazole.
Methods: This prospective, non-randomized controlled comparative study included 40 patients with otomycosis. All underwent ear toilet and topical treatment. Clinical and endoscopic findings were assessed on days 1, 5, 10, 15, and 30. Within-group changes were assessed using Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Bonferroni correction; between-group comparisons used the Mann–Whitney test.
Results: Both groups showed significant improvement over time (Friedman p<0.001). In the ginger and virgin coconut oil group, mild symptoms increased from 20.0% on day 1 to 90.0% on day 5 and 100.0% from day 10 onward; clean ear canals increased from 0% to 55.0%, 95.0%, and 100.0% on days 5, 10, and 15. In the miconazole group, mild symptoms increased to 65.0% on day 5 and 100.0% from day 10 onward, while clean ear canals increased to 35.0%, 70.0%, and 100.0% on days 5, 10, and 15.
Conclusion: Both treatments were associated with substantial clinical and endoscopic improvement. Because allocation was non-randomized and baseline differences were present at the first assessment, pointwise between-group differences should not be interpreted as treatment superiority. Larger randomized studies are warranted.