The etiology of bullous myringitis and the role of mycoplasmas in ear disease: a review.

A critical review of the literature concerning bullous myringitis has found one case of possible mycoplasmal, one of possible viral, and 43 of bacterial, etiology. The bacteria were Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and beta-hemolytic Streptococcus, in the same percentages as found in (nonbullous) otitis media. One of 858 attempts to isolate Mycoplasma from cases of (nonbullous) otitis media was successful. The evidence that Mycoplasma are a cause of otitis media with or without bullae is weak. Bullous myringitis probably is not a separate clinical entity, but merely acute otitis media with blisters on the eardrum.