Chronic otitis media with effusion and Helicobacter pylori

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Microbiology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Chronic otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common pediatric condition.
• The role of specific pathogens in OME pathogenesis is not fully understood.
• Helicobacter pylori (HP) is a known pathogen with diverse clinical manifestations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the presence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) in middle ear effusion (MEE) of children with chronic OME.
• To determine if HP contributes to the ethiopathogenesis of chronic OME.
• To utilize the Campylobacter-like organism (CLO) test for HP detection.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, randomized, and controlled study involving 45 children (ages 3-13) diagnosed with chronic OME and adenoid hypertrophy.
• Study group (30 patients) underwent adenoidectomy, myringotomy, and ventilation tube insertion; MEE and adenoid tissue were collected for CLO testing.
• Control group (15 patients) underwent adenoidectomy and myringotomy; middle ear wash-out fluid and adenoid tissue were collected for CLO testing.

Main Results:

• Helicobacter pylori (HP) was detected in the middle ear effusions of 66.6% of patients in the study group using the CLO test.
• No positive CLO tests were found in the middle ear wash-out fluid of the control group.
• A statistically significant difference in positive CLO testing was observed between the middle ear effusions of the study and control groups (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• The presence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) in middle ear effusion is confirmed in children with chronic OME.
• These findings indicate that HP may be implicated in the ethiopathogenesis of chronic OME.
• The CLO test is an effective method for detecting HP in middle ear effusions.