Objectives To explore the associated factors of otitis media with effusion (OME) and analyze the diagnostic value of the adenoid-nasopharyngeal (A/N) ratio to OME. Methods Patients with adenoid hypertrophy (AH) recently in 2 years were collected, including sex, age, duration, with/without rhinosinusitis, and examination results, including Cone Beam Computerized Tomography (CBCT) sinus imaging, tympanometry, pure tone audiometry (PTA), blood test, and allergen detection. According to Liden/Jerger’s classification, the patients were divided into two groups: Type B and type C, which were defined as the tympanometry abnormal group (TAG), and the rest were classified as the tympanometry normal group (TNG). Results A total of 316 children were included in this study. Age and duration were significantly younger and shorter in TAG (6.0(4.0-9.0) vs.5.0(4.0-7.0)); 12.0(4.0-24.0) vs.6.0(2.0-12.0)). Compared to TNG, the allergen test results of fx5 (protein, milk, cod, wheat, peanut, and soybean) in TAG were higher (0.09(0.04-0.25) vs.0.14(0.05-0.45)), but eosinophilia in blood was lower (count: 0.21(0.13-0.35) vs. 0.18(0.12-0.27); ratio: 3.10 (1.90-4.70) vs. 2.50 (1.65-3.80)). A/N ratio and Visual obstruction ratio had a statistical difference (Z = −3.770, P < .01) but the two ratios didn’t have too much disparity (0.82(0.74-0.88) VS 0.80(0.75-0.80)), and they had a positive correlation (r = 0.345, P < .01). A/N ratio of TAG was higher than TNG (0.78(0.70-0.85) vs. 0.86(0.82-0.90)) and had a positive correlation with increasing negative middle ear pressure (r = −3.777, P < .01). A/N ratio was an associated factor of OME (OR:1355.611, P = .006), the cut-off value of A/N ratio was 0.815(sensitivity: 75.3%, specificity: 64.3%, area under the curve (AUC): 0.747) Conclusions A/N ratio indirectly reflected the abnormality of tympanometry in this study. When A/N ratio reaches 0.815, patients are at a higher risk of having OME so it could be a predictor of OME in patients with adenoid hypertrophy.

The occurrence of an isolated schwannoma in the olfactory groove is extremely rare. We herein present 2 cases of schwannomas in the olfactory groove that were treated with endoscopic excision. In these 2 cases, the tumor originated in the cribriform plate and cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea occurred after tumor resection, which was repaired using tissue grafts.

Antrochoanal polyp (ACP) is a benign nasal mass of unknown etiology. Tight junctions (TJs) are essential to the epithelial barrier that protects the body from external damage. The samples were collected from 49 controls, 37 patients with ACP and 45 patients with nasal polyp (NP). qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining were performed to analyze the expressions of TJs markers (ZO-1, Claudin-3 and Occludin) and ZEB1. The expression levels of TJs markers were analyzed in primary human nasal epithelial cells (hNECs) transfected with IL-17A and ZEB1 small interfering RNA (si-ZEB1). The levels of ZO-1 and Occludin mRNA were significantly downregulated in the ACP compared with the control and NP groups, and the expression of Claudin-3 was markedly lower in the ACP than control group. Immunofluorescence staining showed that the staining intensity of TJs markers was significantly decreased in the ACP and NP groups, and there was no difference between NP and ACP groups. Meanwhile, ZEB1 expression was significantly upregulated in ACP group. In hNECs, The IL-17A group showed much weaker expression of ZO-1, Claudin3 and Occludin compared to the control group.IL-17A and si-ZEB1 group reversed the down-regulation of the expression of TJs-related molecules. In addition, we observed that the degree of disruption of tight junctions correlated with the severity of the disease. The tight junctions in the ACP were extremely damaged and were correlated with the severity of the disease. In conclusion, ZEB1 was involved in the pathogenesis of ACP mediated by IL-17A though regulating tight junctions.