Morphometric studies of the continuum of otitis media.

Morphometric changes in the epithelium and subepithelium of the middle ear mucosa from children younger than 10 years of age were measured at the promontory in 85 temporal bones with otitis media and in 29 normal temporal bones by use of quantitative and semiquantitative methods. Comparisons of morphologic analysis in different otitis media types showed that acute inflammatory changes were usually seen in purulent otitis media with effusion and serous otitis media with effusion, and chronic inflammatory changes were more severe in mucoid otitis media with effusion and chronic otitis media. There were overlaps, however, in histopathologic findings between different types of otitis media that suggest a continuum of otitis media types, with one type of otitis media changing into another type.