Ohashi Y, Nakai Y, Koshimo H, Ikeoka H, Esaki Y
Department of Otolaryngology, Osaka City University Medical School, Japan.
Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 1988;245(1):25-7. doi: 10.1007/BF00463544.
The function of cilia present in the tubotympanum plays an important role in the pathogenesis and chronicity of otitis media with effusion (OME). We used a photoelectric method to examine the ciliary activity in the eustachian tube, in the central pharynx, as well as the nasal cavity of normal animals and animals with otitis media. In normal animals, the ciliary activity in the nasal cavity was not different from that in the eustachian tube. In some animals with otitis media, however, there was a significant difference between the ciliary activity in the nasal cavity and that in the eustachian tube. On the other hand, no significant differences were recognized in any given group of animals examined between the level of the ciliary activity in the central pharynx and that in the eustachian tube. Our findings show that the function of the cilia present in the pharynx is a valid index of that in the eustachian tube. Our study further indicates that it may be possible to clinically assess the ciliary activity in the pharyngeal mucosa biopsied from patients with OME to determine objectively the effects of medical treatments of the disease.
鼓室中存在的纤毛功能在分泌性中耳炎（OME）的发病机制和慢性病程中起着重要作用。我们采用光电方法检测正常动物和患有中耳炎的动物的咽鼓管、咽中部以及鼻腔中的纤毛活动。在正常动物中，鼻腔中的纤毛活动与咽鼓管中的纤毛活动没有差异。然而，在一些患有中耳炎的动物中，鼻腔中的纤毛活动与咽鼓管中的纤毛活动存在显著差异。另一方面，在所检查的任何一组动物中，咽中部的纤毛活动水平与咽鼓管中的纤毛活动水平之间未发现显著差异。我们的研究结果表明，咽部存在的纤毛功能是咽鼓管纤毛功能的有效指标。我们的研究进一步表明，临床上有可能通过对OME患者活检的咽黏膜中的纤毛活动进行评估，以客观地确定该疾病药物治疗的效果。
