Relationship Between Severity of Middle Ear Mucosal Lesion and Middle Ear Pneumatic Space Volume in Patients with Otitis Media with Effusion

• Published in: Acta oto-laryngologica Vol. 119; no. 5; pp. 562 - 567
• Main Author: Kazuhiro Aoki, Yukie Mitani, Tomihiko Tuji, Yukio Hamada, Hiroya Utahashi, Hiroshi Moriyama
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Stockholm Informa UK Ltd 1999; Taylor & Francis; Taylor and Francis
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Division; Child; Child, Preschool; Connective Tissue - growth & development; Connective Tissue - pathology; Ear, auditive nerve, cochleovestibular tract, facial nerve: diseases, semeiology; Ear, Middle - growth & development; Ear, Middle - pathology; Follow-Up Studies; Head and neck surgery. Maxillofacial surgery. Dental surgery. Orthodontics; Humans; Mastoid - growth & development; Mastoid - pathology; Medical sciences; Middle Ear Ventilation - instrumentation; Mucous Membrane - growth & development; Mucous Membrane - pathology; Non tumoral diseases; Otitis Media with Effusion - classification; Otitis Media with Effusion - pathology; Otitis Media with Effusion - surgery; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Recurrence; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the ear, the auditive nerve and the facial nerve; Temporal Bone - growth & development; Temporal Bone - pathology; Wound Healing; Human; Grommet; Correlation; Effusion; Indication; Middle ear disease; Mucosa; Insertion; Pneumatization; Tympanotomy; Treatment; Volume; Surgery; ENT disease; Otitis media; Lesion; Middle ear; Child; Gravity
• ISSN: 0001-6489; 1651-2251
• DOI: 10.1080/00016489950180793

If we assume that the state of suppression of pneumatic cells is the result of suppression of pneumatic cell growth by inflammatory stimulation in the middle ear pneumatic space, it is possible to improve the state of suppression by performing sufficient treatment during the growth period of the pneumatic cells. We indwelt a tympanic membrane ventilation tube (hereinafter referred to as tube) for treatment of otitis media with effusion (OME) in child patients aged 3-13 years and investigated the following points: i) relationship between the severity of inflammation of the lamina propria of middle ear mucosal specimens (hereinafter referred to as lamina propria) collected at the time of tube indwelling and the degree of growth of the pneumatic space; and ii) changes in the pneumatic space associated with treatment by tube indwelling, which was studied by comparing the above-described mucosal severity with the pneumatic space area of 2 years after tube indwelling, and with increase in the pneumatic space volume measured periodically after tube indwelling. The results indicated that mastoid cell growth suppression is higher in patients with a higher degree of inflammatory changes in the lamina propria. In association with treatment by tube indwelling, effusion accumulated in the pneumatic space and mucosal swelling disappeared early after the treatment, or 2 months of tube indwelling. After that, in patients with severe mucosal lesion, a long time, 1.5-2 years, was found to be required for repneumatization accompanying regrowth of the temporal bone. We confirmed that the severity of inflammation of the lamina propria is deeply involved in the growth and repneumatization of the pneumatic cells.