Isolation of viruses and mycoplasmas from middle ear effusions: a review

Reports of studies of middle ear effusions (MEE) obtained by needle aspiration are reviewed in this paper; viruses were isolated from 29 of 663 patients (4.4%) and respiratory syncytial virus was isolated most frequently (22 patients); only one mycoplasma, M. pneumoniae, was recovered from the MEE of 771 patients. Viruses were also sought from the throat or nasopharynx of 249 patients with MEE; 59 patients (23.7%) had a respiratory virus present. M. pneumoniae was isolated from the throat or nasopharynx in three of 116 patients. Although these results indicate that viruses and mycoplasmas are uncommonly found in effusions associated with acute or chronic otitis media, few studies have been attempted in recent years. The discovery of additional respiratory viruses and development of new techniques for isolation and identification of viruses indicate that the present results may be incomplete.