Adenoid histamine and its possible relationship to secretory otitis media.

We have shown that adenoid tissue contains large amounts of the inflammatory mediator histamine. Children with fluid present in both ears at operation were found to have increased amounts of histamine in their adenoid tissue compared to a group with no signs or symptoms of SOM. Also mouth breathing and nasal obstruction were associated with adenoid histamine content whereas other signs and symptoms were not. No significant differences in adenoid weight were seen between SOM and non SOM patients. Histamine, both free and cell-associated, was found in nasopharyngeal secretions and middle-ear fluid although the source and mechanism of release has not yet been identified. We suggest that the benefits of adenoidectomy in children with SOM may possibly come from removing a potential source of inflammatory mediators in the vicinity of the Eustachian tube.