Helicobacter pylori may cause otitis media with effusion: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the presence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) in middle ear effusion from Chinese adult patients with otitis media with effusion (OME).

METHODOLOGY

A total of 60 aspiration samples collected from adult patients (ranging from 19 to 73 years old) were included in the study. The effusion samples aspirated from the patients' middle ears were analyzed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and cultured for 7 days under microaerobic conditions. Subsequently, Gram staining and urease testing were performed to identify HP.

RESULTS

Of the 60 middle ear effusion samples, 24 (40%) were shown to be HP-positive by PCR assay. Of these, seven specimens were confirmed HP-positive by both culture and urease test.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study clearly demonstrates the presence of HP in the middle ear effusion of some Chinese adult patients with OME. This finding suggests that HP may be involved in the etiology of OME. Additional studies are needed to investigate the exact role of HP in the pathogenesis of OME.