PRELIMINARY-REPORT ON L-FORMS - POSSIBLE ROLE IN THE INFECTIOUS ORIGIN OF SECRETORY OTITIS-MEDIA

Infection and inflammation of the middle ear cleft are important facto rs in the pathogenesis of secretory otitis media. Although high percen tages of negative cultures are confronted in many studies, strong evid ence pointing to the infectious nature of this disease could; not be o verlooked. Many authors agree about the failure of conventional cultur e methods in identifying the responsible pathogen or pathogens. Beside s, some agents, such as some kinds of antibiotics, lysozyme, and perha ps some undetected materials, are capable of changing bacterial behavi or and consequently the clinical course. Effusions taken from 40 ears with secretory otitis media were cultured by means of conventional bra in-heart infusion broth and special hypertonic thioglycollate broth. S trikingly, bacterial L-forms were detected in 6 specimens in thioglyco llate broth, with no growth in the conventional broth. We concluded th at these atypical forms of bacteria, the L-forms, may play an importan t role in the bacteriologic aspect of secretory otitis media.