A method is provided for treating swimmer's ear and other types of otitis externa. The method comprises (a) diagnosing an instance of swimmer's ear in a patient； and (b) applying to the meatal tissues of the external ear of the patient, in a single application, a volume of a pharmaceutical composition preferably within the range of about 0.1 ml to about 1.5 ml. The pharmaceutical composition comprises a corticosteroid disposed in a viscous medium, and preferably also includes an antifungal agent. The corticosteroid is preferably betamethasone or a betamethasone derivative, and the concentration of the corticosteroid is preferably within the range of about 0.45 mg to about 0.9 mg per gram of the pharmaceutical composition.
