小児しん出性中耳炎のエリスロマイシン療法

Abstract

Twenty five children with chronic otitis media with effusion received low-dose and long-term erythromycin treatment (EM treatment), and the clinical and bacteriological effects were studied. After the EM treatment, resolution of middle ear effusion (MEE) was observed in 18 of the 25 patients. Within the 3-month follow-up period after EM treatment, 13 of the 18 patients were completely effusion-free, while recurrence of MEE was observed in 5 cases. The final rate of resolution, therefore, was 52%. EM treatment was not effective for younger children, especially for those under 2 years of age.Patients with accompanying chronic sinusitis tended to become effusion-free after EM treatment along with reduction of their nasal symptoms. Persistence of nasopharyngeal pathogens during the EM treatment was demonstrated, indicating that the resolution of MEE by the treatment did not depend on antimicrobial effects but on some antiinflammatory effects. The present results show that EM treatment can increase the resolution of MEE in children with OME.