Otitis Media

Abstract

ACUTE otitis media is a common problem in infants and children. Although antibiotics seem to be effective in controlling suppurative complications, otitis is still a significant cause of morbidity and hearing loss. The etiology remains unsettled and treatment is largely empirical. Bacteriologic studies have repeatedly demonstrated that in only 60% to 70% of cases is it possible to isolate a pathogen from middle ear fluid.^1-5Unproved explanations for the sterility of the remaining 30% to 40% are diverse and include a possible viral etiology.⁵There have been only sporadic accounts of virus isolation from middle ear fluid; few systematic attempts to isolate virus from middle ear fluid have been reported.^5-8The association of<i>Mycoplasma</i>with bullous myringitis has been observed in adult volunteers infected with artificially propagated<i>M pneumoniae</i>.⁹In naturally acquired<i>M</i><i>pneumoniae</i>infection the organism has been recovered on several occasions from the middle