CHRONIC SEROUS OTITIS

Key words: Chronic serous otitis, Pneumatic otoscopy, Adenoidal hypertrophy, Tympanometry

Chronic serous otitis media is present when the middle ear is persistently filled with sterile fluid. Main cause are: complete auditory tube obstruction (often associated with adenoidal hypertrophy), reduced local production of surfactant, bacterial infection. The patient usually complains of hearing loss. The diagnosis may be confirmed by pneumatic otoscopy (retracted eardrum with decreased or absent motility) and tympanometry (type B pattern i.e. decreased compliance). The efficacy of various approaches - such as antibiotics, steroids, autoinflation, adenoidectomy, tympanostomy tubes - is discussed as well as the individual factors that should inform the therapeutic decisions.