Distribution of pneumatization of the temporal bone in chronic otitis media seen during age of antibiotic therapy

Abstract

It has been well recognized in the pre-antibiotic therapy era that chronic otitis media was most frequently seen in patients with poorly pneumatized temporal bone and acute otitis media was commonly seen in well pneumatized temporal bone. It is believed antibiotics have changed the incidence and the course of otitis media. Therefore, we suspected there may have been changes in the distribution of pneumatization in the cases with chronic otitis media.We studied the roentgenograms of the temporal bone of 749 patients (921 cases) with chronic otitis media seen at our clinic during 1948-1959.During the period 1948 to 1959, antibiotics were progressively used with greater frequency in the treatment of otitis media.We have found that chronic otitis media was seen most frequently in poorly pneumatized temporal bone, in the group seen during the antibiotic therapy era.One can state that there was no remarkable changes in the distribution of pneumatization in patients seen during the era of antibiotic therapy.Study of patients chronologically from 1948 to 1959 did not demonstrate any constant or significant trend year to year distribution of pneumatization of the temporal bone.