The effect of middle ear effusion on the inner ear condition in children

Otitis media with effusion (OME) is the most common cause of hearing impairment among children in developed nations. Middle ear (ME) fluid accumulation leads to progressive hearing impairment, usually of the conductive type. In some cases, mixed hearing loss associated with OME has been noted. It was reported that effusion in the ME has a negative impact on the vestibular system of the inner ear.

The aim of this random-sample cohort study was to evaluate postural stability and the influence of ME drainage on vestibulospinal reflexes in children with OME, and to determine whether disturbances in the vestibular organ correlate with a sensorineural component in OME-related hearing loss.

The study group consisted of 53 children with bilateral OME who were treated with bilateral ME drainage. The study group was divided into subgroups according to hearing loss. The control group consisted of 29 healthy children. Vestibular function and hearing evaluation were performed before and 4 weeks after drainage.

A comparison of the stabilograms of the study group and the control group revealed elevated parameters in most of the tests. In the subgroup with mixed hearing loss, either before or after ME drainage, elevated stabilogram parameters were found in all tests. Posturography revealed vestibular system disturbances before and after ME drainage in the subgroup with mixed hearing loss, especially before ME drainage. The stabilogram parameters in the subgroup with conductive hearing loss after ME drainage were better in most tests in comparison to those before the procedure.

The presence of effusion in the ME has a negative effect on the inner ear. We highlight the importance of monitoring the condition of the vestibular system in all children with OME, especially in cases with mixed hearing loss and more advanced clinical stages of the disease.