Secretory otitis media--evidence for an inherited aetiology.

In a study to determine whether or not there is a familial or hereditary predisposition to develop secretory otitis media (SOM), the parents of 73 children with persistent SOM and 35 controls were examined clinically, and abnormalities of the tympanic membrane (TM) noted. Analysis of the findings suggests that heredity plays a large part in determining a child's likelihood of developing SOM.