A client presents with itching and pain in the left ear that started several days after beginning swim lessons. The nurse observes a discharge coming from the ear with a musty odor. How should the nurse expect the ear to appear when performing an otoscopic examination?

A. A thickened and bulging tympanic membrane typically indicates a middle ear infection, such as otitis media, not an external ear infection, and would not be expected in this case based on the symptoms described. B. A retracted and non-mobile tympanic membrane suggests Eustachian tube dysfunction or fluid in the middle ear, which does not correlate with the external ear symptoms of itching, pain, and discharge after swimming. C. A red, edematous ear canal with no visualization of the tympanic membrane is indicative of otitis externa, commonly known as "swimmer's ear." This condition is characterized by inflammation of the external auditory canal, often following water exposure, which matches the client’s symptoms and history. D. A translucent, pearly gray and mobile tympanic membrane is the appearance of a normal tympanic membrane, which would not be expected in a client with the described symptoms of pain, itching, and discharge associated with otitis externa.