J Korean Med Sci.  2004 Oct;19(5):735-738. 10.3346/jkms.2004.19.5.735.

Detection Rates of Bacteria in Chronic Otitis Media with Effusion in Children

• Park CW
• Han JH
• Jeong JH
• Cho SH
• Kang MJ
• Tae K
• Lee SH

• KMID: 1733518
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2004.19.5.735

Abstract

This study was performed to investigate polymerase chain reaction-based detection of bacterial DNA in middle ear fluid and assess the correlation between the PCR-positive rate with several factors associated with middle ear effusion. The purpose was to gain a further understanding of bacterial infection as a major cause of otitis media with effusion. Of the 278 specimens of middle ear fluid, 39 (14%) tested positive by ordinary culture. The overall detection rate of bacterial DNA using the PCR method was 36.7% for middle ear effusion, and bacterial DNA detection rates of Hemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis in the middle ear effusion were 29.1%, 4.7% and 10.8%, respectively. The bacterial DNA detection rate was higher in ears with a history of acute otitis media than those without the history. High detection rates were observed in patients younger than 48 months who have had a higher tendency to present with acute otitis media. We concluded that PCR is a more sensitive method for the detection of bacteria in middle ear effusion than ordinary culture, and acute otitis media is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of otitis media with effusion.

Keyword

Otitis Media with Effusion; Bacteria; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Hemphilus influenzae; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis

MeSH Terms

Child
Child, Preschool
Chronic Disease
DNA, Bacterial/analysis
Haemophilus Infections/*diagnosis
Haemophilus influenzae/genetics/*isolation & purification
Humans
Infant
Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis/genetics/isolation & purification
Moraxellaceae Infections/diagnosis
Otitis Media with Effusion/*diagnosis/*microbiology
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Streptococcal Infections/diagnosis
Streptococcus pneumoniae/genetics/isolation & purification

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Distribution of age of the subjected patients.

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  Fig. 2 Detection of bacterial DNA fragments by polymerase chain reaction.

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