Spontaneous improvement of secretory otitis. A long-term study.

Six repetitive tympanometric screenings were performed on 184 2-year-old, otherwise healthy children (368 ears) between November 1977 and February 1980. Between each examination half of the ears changed tympanogram type; during summer and spring more ears improved than deteriorated and during winter and autumn the reverse took place. Type B representing flat curve without impedance minimum improved at each examination in more than half of the ears, but a large number of "new' ears received a type B tympanogram. In all, 39% of all ears had type B at one examination at least, 7% had type B at two examinations, 4% at three, 4% at four, and 2% at five examinations; only one ear (0.3%) had a type B tympanogram at all six examinations. The investigation revealed a very high total frequency and spontaneous improvement of secretory otitis. In this period of 2 and a half years, 70% of ears had types B or C2 at one examination at least. On account of the pronounced spontaneous improvement, the results of any method of treatment-when the indications are wide-will be good, although even studies on controlled materials, comparing two methods of treatment, are encumbered with considerable uncertainties.