aetiology
Last reviewed 01/2018
Common causes of acute otitis media include:
- common cold
- acute tonsillitis
- influenza
- coryza - profuse discharge of the nose - of measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough.
Rare causes of otitis media include:
- sinusitis
- tonsillectomy
- haemotympanum
- trauma of the tympanic membrane
- air flight and scuba diving - barotrauma
- fracture of the temporal bone
About 29%-50% of all upper respiratory tract infections develop into acute otitis media (1).
In children the relative immaturity of the Eustachian tube and immune defence mechanisms are also probably significant.
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