OTITIS-MEDIA WITH EFFUSION - ALLERGIC ORIGIN AND MANAGEMENT

To investigate the role of allergy in the appearance and persistence o f otitis media with effusion (OME), 282 young people up to 15 years ol d were studied. Their selection was based on the presence of persisten t OME, a positive personal or family history and evidence of allergy o n physical examination. The diagnosis of OME was based upon otoscopic findings, as well as on a type-B flat tympanogram. All 282 patients un derwent laboratory determination of total and specific IgE (Pharmacia Phadebas RAST) for inhalant and food allergens the results of which al lowed division of the patients into allergic and non-allergic groups. The study lasted almost four years. The parameters studied included se x, age, place of residence, seasonal distribution of OME attacks, dura tion of morbidity, number of OME episodes and their duration, total an d specific IgE for inhalant and food allergens. The results show that, in allergic patients, OME tends to recur, is more persistent and ther e is a greater incidence and a different seasonal distribution of OME attacks. Boys suffered more commonly from allergic OME than girls. Fin ally, cetirizine, a second generation anti-H1 agent with additional an tiallergic properties, is proposed as a useful treatment for allergic OME.