[Exudative otitis media as a manifestation of spontaneous otoliquorrhea]

Spontaneous otoliquorrhea (SOL) often mimics the picture of exudative otitis media (EOM), which leads to delayed diagnosis of the underlying disease.

Is to evaluate causes, clinical features and diagnostic algorithm for patients with SOL.

From 2007 to 2018, 33 patients with SOL underwent examination and treatment in the Department of Ear Microsurgery of the Institute. At the preoperative stage, all patients underwent a complete examination, including examination of ENT organs, anthropometric, biochemical, audiological, ultrasound and radiological tests, which made it possible to make the correct diagnosis.

SOL was more likely to occur in women over 50 who are obese (69.7%, stage II-III). The disease onset in 51.6% of patients was preceded by conditions accompanied by a short-term or prolonged increase in intracranial pressure. SOL was manifested by the clinical picture of EOM in 72.7% of cases, only in 45.5% of cases was accompanied by release from the ear and nose, was often intermittent and complicated by meningitis in 12.1% of patients. Difficulties in diagnosing the disease are caused by clinical manifestations of exudative or acute otitis media in the absence of a causative factor, which led to the verification of SOL from 1 to 4 years in 81.9% of patients who received long-term treatment for other ENT diseases.

The master factors in the diagnosis of SOL are otomicroscopy and endoscopy of the nasopharynx, Halo test and screening determination of glucose level in the obtained discharge, as well as high-resolution CT of the temporal bone, which allows to localize the cerebrospinal fluid fistula and to determine the size of the defect.