The role of the nasal and paranasal sinus pathologies on the development of chronic otitis media and its subtypes: A computed tomography study

Background: The middle ear cavity is ventilated through the aditus ad antrum. Aditus blockage contributes to the pathology of otitis media. Objective: To determine the normal values of the aditus ad antrum diameter on computed tomography and to investigate its relationship with chronic otitis media and related pathologies (tympanosclerosis and myringosclerosis). Methods: The temporal CT images of 162 individuals were evaluated retrospectively. In the axial sections, the inner diameter of the aditus was measured at the narrowest point at the cortex. The differences in diameter were compared between diseased and healthy ears. Results: In healthy individuals, the diameter was narrower in women. There was no difference between the right and left ears in healthy subjects. No correlation was found between age and diameter. In male patients with myringosclerosis, the diameter was slightly narrower on both sides but more marked on the left. In female patients with myringosclerosis, the diameter in both ears was slightly narrower. In cases of otitis media and tympanosclerosis, the diameter was less than that of healthy individuals, despite the lack of statistically significant result in all cases. Conclusion: The aditus ad antrum was narrower in diseased ears, indicating that a blocked aditus may contribute to the development of otitis media, as well as mucosal diseases.

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Factors associated with the development of paediatric chronic otitis media by age nine: a prospective longitudinal cohort study of 6560 children

The Journal of Laryngology & Otology ◽

10.1017/s0022215120002182 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

P J Clamp ◽

K De-Loyde ◽

A R Maw ◽

S Gregory ◽

J Golding ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Otitis Media ◽

Maternal Education ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Chronic Otitis Media ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Control Group ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

Abstract Objective This study aimed to analyse social, health and environmental factors associated with the development of chronic otitis media by age nine. Method This was a prospective, longitudinal, birth cohort study of 6560 children, reviewed at age nine. Chronic otitis media defined as previous surgical history or video-otoscopic changes of tympanic membrane retraction, perforation or cholesteatoma. Non-affected children were used as the control group. Results Univariate analysis demonstrated an association between chronic otitis media and otorrhoea, snoring, grommet insertion, adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, hearing loss, abnormal tympanograms and preterm birth. Multivariate analysis suggests many of these factors may be interrelated. Conclusion The association between chronic otitis media and otorrhoea, abnormal tympanograms and grommets supports the role of the Eustachian tube and otitis media (with effusion or acute) in the pathogenesis of chronic otitis media. The role of snoring, adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy is unclear. Associations suggested by previous studies (sex, socioeconomic group, parental smoking, maternal education, childcare, crowding and siblings) were not found to be significant predictors in this analysis.

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