A cytological study of effusions in children with otitis media with effusion

Abstract

A cytological analysis in 330 samples of middle ear effusions (MEEs) from the children with otitis media with effusion (OME) was performed with the use of cytocentrifuge method. MayGiemsa stained smears were classified into five types on the bases of the inflammatory cellular patterns, i. e., neutrophil dominant type (N), mononuculear cell dominant type (M), mixed type (Mix), mucous and cellular remnant type (M. CR), and too few cells type (FC). And the cellular types such classified were compared with their clinical data in order to obtain the definitive information about the inflammatory state and process in the middle ear cavity (MIC). The results were as follows:1) A large descrepancy was observed between the global appearance and cytological findings of the MEEs.2) In acute group OME, almost sixty per cent of the MEEs showed (N) type smears. In chronic group, the percentage of (N) type smears were decreased to 23.5% and (M) type, (Mix) type, (M. CR) type, and (FC) type smears were increased to 18.5%, 14.5%, 31.2% and 12.4%, respectively.3) On the other hand, in chronic group MEEs of cases who had a recent episode of acute exaservation showed (N) type smears in 55.6%.4) Long term examination of smears in each case revealed the presence of continuous changes in the cytological patterns.From the results described above, the cytological analysis of MEEs may be one of the useful breakthrough in order to clarify the mechanism of chronicity of OME.