Conclusion: Otitis media with effusion (OME) can affect the development of mastoid in children. For younger children (<12 years old), surgical intervention may promote the development of mastoid. It is highly recommended that patients with severe tympanic membrane retraction have tympanostomy tubes to improve the circulation in the middle ear as early as possible.
Objective: To investigate the effect of OME and its clinical intervention on the development of mastoid in children.
Methods: A total of 46 children with OME were divided into 2 groups according to their ages. In group 1, 26 cases (0-6 years old) were treated for approximately 2 months, while in group 2, 20 cases (7-15 years old) were treated for 10 months. The treatments included tympanic effusion incision or catheterization, and adenoidectomy and/or bilateral tonsillectomy. Before and 6 months after treatments, patients were examined by bilateral temporal bone CT scanning, pure-tone audiometry, and tympanometry. 3-D volumetric reconstruction was then performed to determine the morphological properties of each patient's mastoid.
Results: After a 2-month comprehensive treatment, the volume of mastoid was close to that in normal children, indicating that it could return to normal level if the treatment was completed within 2 months. In group 2, the results suggested that if the treatment lasted more than 6 months, the development of mastoid would be stalled.