Mucociliary function in children with secretory otitis media.

Mucociliary clearance of the nasal meatus and the middle ear cavity was measured by a radioisotopic method using 99mTc-labelled human serum albumin as a tracer substance. In the patients with secretory otitis media the tracer did not move in either ear indicating a lack of mucociliary clearance. Lowered nasal mucociliary transport velocity was found in 31 of the 46 child patients with recurrent or chronic respiratory infections. 11 from 31 patients (35%) suffered from recurrent otitis media and 19 (62%) from secretory otitis media. Only one patient of the 15 cases with normal transport velocity had secretory otitis media. It seems that primarily or secondarily impaired mucociliary function plays an important role in the pathophysiology of secretory otitis media.