Diagnostic methods for otitis media with effusion in children.

Abstract

Videotelescopy seems to have the potential to become the standard for diagnosis of OME in children and for validation of pneumatic otoscopy. When videotelescopy is not available, tympanometry could be an instrumental adjunct to pneumatic otoscopy. Although acoustic reflectometry gave the worst results, it is still useful for assessing and screening OME in children because of the ease and speed of its operation irrespective of crying, cerumen, an air seal in the ear, or lack of cooperation from the young children.