[Influence of otitis media with effusion on perilymph and round window membrane].

To investigate the influence of middle ear effusion (MEE) on perilymph (PL) and the round window membrane (RWM), an experimental otitis media with effusion (OME) was manufactured in chinchillas by injecting the tympanic cavity with immune complexes. The presence of MEE lasted 9 days after the injection of immune complexes. Perilymph was aspirated on the fourth, tenth, 21st, and 60th days after the inoculation. The mean concentrations of albumin, IgG, histamine, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were significantly greater in PL obtained from OME-induced ears than in those from normal control ears. The 3H-PGE2 placed on the RWM of pathologically affected ears passed into PL in significantly greater amounts, compared to normal control ears. The findings of the present study indicate that MEE affect the biochemical milieu of PL.