Maxillary sinusitis in children with otitis media with effusion

Abstract

Sinus radiographs have been carried out on 240 new cases of childhood otitis media with effusion (OME). When the films were suggestive of infection, maxillary sinus washouts were carried out as part of the surgical treatment. Abnormal X-rays were obtained in 28 per cent of the study group, but only 16 cases (seven per cent) of sinus infection were confirmed on antral lavage. In those with positive washouts, there was an apparent relationship between the findings in the maxillary sinuses and middle ears of the same side in some of the cases. There was also evidence of improvement of the middle ear disease when the sinus infection was successfully treated. It does not appear that sinus infection is an important cause of OME, though it may be relevant in a small number of cases.

Effect of paranasal sinusitis on the development of otitis media with effusion: Influence of Eustachian tube function and adenoid immunity

“…These findings suggest that appropriate antibiotic treatments may be effective in patients with infectious diseases of the sinus and middle ear. Successful treatment of sinus infections was shown to lead to cure of middle ear diseases [13]. Moreover, treatment of uncomplicated acute otitis media and acute bacterial sinusitis with amoxicillin was very effective on OME in the same patients [14].…”

Detection Rates of Bacteria in Chronic Otitis Media with Effusion in Children

“…Furthermore, the possibility exists that Eustachian tube dysfunction is caused by adenoid hypertrophy. Mills et al (17) reported that accompanied sinusitis plays an important role in the progression of OME by Eustachian tube dysfunction due to Eustachian tube salphingitis rather than direct bacterial dissemination. Therefore, obviously a simple comparison of bacterial-positive rates cannot definitively conclude a correlation of direct bacterial dissemination into the middle ear cavity by adenoid hypertrophy and sinusitis and OME.…”

Prevalence of tympanometric alterations in children with chronic sinusitis

“…Mills performed sinus radiographs in 240 children with OME and found abnormalities in 28% of cases, though only in 7% an infection was confirmed by a sinus lavage [21]. The same authors argued that radiograph -which currently is no longer considered a reliable diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of sinusitis [4] -may underestimate sinusitis.…”