Acute Otitis Media (AOM) is a very common condition in children. Complications of acute otitis media have reduced with the introduction of antibiotics. However, intratemporal and intracranial complications still arise, particularly if there is acute mastoiditis. We discuss the intracranial complications of acute otitis media in children together with evidence-based management.

A classification of otitis media is proposed and the histopathological changes of otitis media with effusion are reviewed post mortem on two temporal bones. A case of adhesive otitis media is observed on temporal bone slides. The clinical and therapeutic aspect are examined and treatment guidelines are proposed.

BACKGROUND Otitis media is one of the most common infections in young children. Although exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is a known risk factor associated with otitis media, little information is available regarding the potential association with air pollution. OBJECTIVE We set out to study the relationship between exposure to traffic-related air pollution and otitis media in two birt...

BACKGROUND No published studies on the prevalence of paediatric otitis media at primary healthcare clinics (PHCs) in South Africa (SA) are available. OBJECTIVE To examine the point prevalence of otitis media in a paediatric population in a PHC in Johannesburg, SA, using otomicroscopy. METHODS A sample of 140 children aged 2 - 16 years (mean 6.4; 44.1% females) were recruited from patients a...

OBJECTIVE To describe a relatively unknown clinical entity - inflammatory cast of the tympanic membrane after acute otitis media - and its simple out-patient treatment. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective review of case series. SETTING Subspecialty practice at a tertiary hospital. PATIENTS Seven patients diagnosed previously with acute otitis media with perforation or otitis externa, and with pers...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess pacifier use as a risk factor for otitis media during the first year of life. METHODS A volunteer cohort of 1,375 infants was recruited from eight hospital postpartum units in Iowa. Parents were asked to provide detailed information on their child's health at 6 weeks, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age. Questions were posed concerning occurrence of sp...

OBJECTIVES Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 counterregulates cell migration, adhesion, and tissue repair. The PAI1 4G/5G promoter polymorphism has an effect on expression levels of PAI1. After a first acute otitis media episode, children are at increased risk for a next episode. Because the PAI1 4G allele is associated with higher plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 production and, hence, decrea...

Otitis media is a major cause of morbidity in 80% of all children less than 3 years of age and often goes undiagnosed in the general population. There is evidence to suggest that the incidence of otitis media is increasing. The major cause of otitis media is infection of the middle ear with microbes from the nasopharynx. The anatomical orientation of the eustachian tube, in association with a n...

BACKGROUND Otitis media is one of the most common childhood diseases worldwide, but because of lack of doctors and health personnel in developing countries it is often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. This may lead to serious, and life-threatening complications. There is, thus a need for an automated computer based image-analyzing system that could assist in making accurate otitis media di...

Acute otitis media is usually considered a simple bacterial infection that is treated with antibiotics. However, ample evidence derived from studies ranging from animal experiments to extensive clinical trials supports a crucial role for respiratory viruses in the etiology and pathogenesis of acute otitis media. Viral infection of the upper respiratory mucosa initiates the whole cascade of even...