Routine nasopharyngeal biopsy in adult secretory otitis media

This study was to determine whether routine examination under anaesthesia and nasopharyngeal biopsy in adults presenting with deafness due to secretory otitis media (SOM) is necessary for detection of nasopharyngeal malignancy. Two patient groups were studied. The first comprised 72 adults with SOM. Of these patients, 3 had nasopharyngeal tumours, 2 of whom also had cervical lymphadenopathy. The prevalence of malignancy in patients with SOM but no other suspicious signs was 1/72 (1.4%). The second group comprised 66 patients receiving treatment for nasopharyngeal neoplasms. In this group, 8 patients had SOM at presentation, 7 of whom had other features suspicious of malignancy. SOM as the sole presenting feature of nasopharyngeal malignancy was 1/66 (1.5%). EUA and biopsy of the nasopharynx is a cost effective investigation which continues to be indicated in adults presenting with deafness due to SOM.