POSSIBLE ROLE OF ADENOID MAST-CELLS IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF SECRETORY OTITIS-MEDIA

The distribution of mast cells in the adenoidectomy specimens of 76 ch ildren with enlarged adenoids was studied. Forty of the patients had s ecretory otitis media; the remaining 36 had normally aerated middle ea rs. The mast cells were identified on the basis of the metachromatic s taining of their cytoplasmic granules with toluidine blue. Patients wi th secretory otitis media had a twofold increase of their mast cell po pulation compared to those without middle ear disease. Statistical ana lysis confirmed that the difference between the two groups is signific ant (p = .0001). The results of the study are consistent with the prev ious finding of increased histamine concentration in adenoids of child ren with secretory otitis media and lend support to the adenoid mediat or release hypothesis, whereby the adenoid mast cells degranulate and release histamine and other inflammatory mediators that induce eustach ian tube insufficiency and otitis media with effusion.