Research Status Of Treatments For Secretory Otitis Media

Secretory otitis media is a common disease in ear-nose-throat department,and has a high disease incidence.Both adults and children are possibly suffer from it,which is an important reason of hearing loss.It is characterized in conductive hearing loss and ear effusion.The ear effusion is serous or mucinous,without pus.The etiology is complex,and the disfunction of esucation tube is the most important reason in all of the factors,which include limited infection of middle ear,allergy and genetic factors as well.Hearing loss with ear fullness,tinnitus and earache is the outstanding clinical manifestation.Clinical examination shows that the tympanic membrane is congested and indented.The tympanic membrane loses its luster when ear effusion assists,and arcuated liquid surface or bubbles could be observed at the same time.Actitivity of the tympanic membrane could be restricted.Hearing examination shows varying degrees of conductive hearing loss.Low frequency hearing loss is significant while high frequency hearing loss exists,too.Acoustic impedance shows,the flat curve(B type curve) is typical curve of secretory otitis media,but minority of patients show C type curve,which means disfunction of esucation tube.CT shows varying degrees of high density.There are many different opinoins about the treatment of secretory otitis media at home and abroad. Conservative treatment,which includes regular medicine treatment and physiotherapy, is an important way.Surgical treatment will be carried out when conservative treatment is failed.Surgical treatment consists of tympanic membrane ways,esucation tube ways,etiological treatment,endoscopic treatment and mastoid process surgery,each with its own advantages and disadvantages.Traditional treatment focus on tympanic membrane ways,which will cause many traumas.Esucation tube ways and endoscopic treatment,which occured in recent years,cut back the traumas,and have been proved safer and accurater.However, there are still many short-comings should be noticed.Exploring for safer,more effective and noninvasive treatments and releasing the pain of patients are vital task for researchers,also sacredmission to clinicians.In the next, this article will review all the treatment ways of secretory otitis media in the world for now.