Viral otitis media

The silent reservoir? SARS-CoV-2 detection in the middle ear effusion of patients with Otitis media with effusion after omicron infection

PURPOSE

This multicenter, prospective study is designed to investigate whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is present in the Middle Ear Effusion (MEE) of patients developing Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) subsequent to an Omicron infection. The objective is to elucidate any potential association between the virus and the condition.

METHODS

This study, conducted from January to June 2023, spanned the Otolaryngology departments of two medical institutions in Eastern China. Patients manifesting OME subsequent to Omicron infection from both hospitals were subjected to comprehensive otolaryngological assessments, including pure-tone audiometry (PTA), tympanometry, otoscopic examination, and nasopharyngolaryngoscopy. Subsequently, MEE samples extracted from these patients were analyzed through RT-PCR to detect SARS-CoV-2.

RESULTS

In this study, 23 patients (32-84 years; 57.5 ± 14.8 mean age; 47.8 % male) presented OME in 25 ears post-Omicron infection, with 21 (91.3 %) exhibiting unilateral symptoms. The median duration from infection to MEE sampling was 21 days (IQR: 25-46; range: 11-150). Predominantly, 64.0 % exhibited Type B tympanograms, and fluid accumulation was observed in 88.0 % of ears. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 3 MEE samples (12.0 %), with cycle threshold values ranging between 25.65 and 33.30.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the potential effects of COVID-19 on the middle ear, suggesting a link between SARS-CoV-2 and OME onset. The virus, a significant contributor to OME, is detectable in the MEE nearly a month post-Omicron infection, indicating a potential alteration in OME treatment strategies and a risk of recurrence, emphasizing the necessity for otolaryngologist vigilance.

Otitis media with effusion in adults during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to investigate the fluctuations in the prevalence of individuals diagnosed with otitis media with effusion (OME) during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, while also evaluating the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in middle ear effusion (MEE) and assessing the effectiveness of tympanocentesis as a treatment modality for OME in this specific period.

METHODS

The total number of outpatients and patients diagnosed with OME in our department was recorded for January 2022 and January 2023. Thirty patients (aged 15-86 years) were categorized into two groups: group A (n = 12), who developed OME during their SARS-CoV-2 infection and group B (n = 18), who experienced OME after the resolution of SARS-CoV-2 infection. All patients underwent otoendoscopic tympanocentesis (without a ventilation tube), where MEE and nasopharyngeal secretions were simultaneously collected for SARS-CoV-2 detection by polymerase chain reaction. The time interval from SARS-CoV-2 infection to tympanocentesis, results of SARS-CoV-2 detection, preoperative and postoperative average hearing threshold, and Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7) scores were documented.

RESULTS

The proportion of outpatients with OME in January 2023 was higher than that in January 2022. There were five patients who had positive test results for SARS-CoV-2 on MEE after tympanocentesis. These 5 patients underwent tympanocentesis at a mean of 28 ± 7.28 days following confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The ETDQ-7 scores of group A exhibited a reduction from 21.85 ± 4.8 to 10.00 ± 4.07 following tympanocentesis, while the ETDQ-7 scores of group B also demonstrated a decrease from 21.22 ± 4.65 to 10.11 ± 3.68 after undergoing tympanocentesis. The tympanocentesis was effective in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The study confirmed that the proportion of outpatients with OME in the Clinics of Otolaryngology during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic increased significantly. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detectable in MEE of COVID-19-related OME patients. Tympanocentesis was therapeutic for OME during SARS-CoV-2 infection, which facilitated viral clearance in MEE.

COVID-19-related secretory otitis media in the omicron era: a case series

OBJECTIVES

Increased numbers of patients with secretory otitis media appeared in outpatient clinics after the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron pandemic; however, the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection and secretory otitis media is uncertain.

METHODS

We performed tympanocentesis and used reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing to examine middle ear effusion (MEE) and nasopharyngeal secretions from 30 patients with secretory otitis media associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. RT-PCR was performed using the open reading frame 1ab and nucleocapsid protein gene kit from Shanghai Berger Medical Technology Co., Ltd., as the sole assay method, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

RESULTS

MEEs from 5 of the 30 patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, including one patient with positive results for both the nasopharyngeal secretion and MEE. We report and discuss the medical records of six patients, including these five MEE-positive patients and a MEE-negative patient.

CONCLUSION

SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in MEE caused by coronavirus disease 2019-related secretory otitis media even when a patient's nasopharyngeal secretion tests PCR-negative for SARS-CoV-2. The virus can remain in the MEE for a long time after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Otitis Media

Otitis media is one of the most common diseases in children, with 80% of children experiencing it by the age of three years. Therefore, the resulting social burden is enormous. In addition, many countries still suffer from complications due to otitis media. Meanwhile, COVID-19 has affected many diseases, with otitis media being one of the most strongly affected. This review aims to find out how COVID-19 has affected otitis media and its significance. A series of measures brought about by COVID-19, including emphasis on personal hygiene and social distancing, had many unexpected positive effects on otitis media. These can be broadly classified into four categories: first, the incidence of otitis media was drastically reduced. Second, antibiotic prescriptions for otitis media decreased. Third, the incidence of complications of otitis media was reduced. Fourth, the number of patients visiting the emergency room due to otitis media decreased. The quarantine measures put in place due to COVID-19 suppressed the onset and exacerbation of otitis media. This has great implications for the treatment and prevention of otitis media.

Surgery for adenotonsillar hypertrophy and otitis media in children is less demanded in quarantine times

OBJECTIVES

In the COVID-19 era, extreme measures of social distancing have contained the spread of common viral respiratory infections, which are involved in the pathogenesis of Adenotonsillar Hypertrophy (ATH), and Chronic Otitis Media with Effusion (COME), the two commonest chronic ENT diseases of childhood. This study examines the lockdown effect on the number of procedures performed for these two conditions.

METHODS

The consecutive charts of 650 and 195 children being operated respectively for ATH and COME during the quarantine (05/2020-02/2021) and unrestrained (05/2019-02/2020) periods were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical treatment of ankyloglossia, performed in 103 patients during the same periods was employed as a control procedure.

RESULTS

Adenotonsillectomies and tympanostomies significantly decreased in the lockdown phase by 52% (P < 0.001) and 74% (P < 0.001), respectively, whereas control procedure counts increased by 25%. In terms of seasonal variation, ATH-related surgeries were significantly reduced during the winter season of the pandemic by 73% (P < 0.001), in comparison with the corresponding months of the unrestrained period. School-aged children received significantly fewer operations for ATH (-59%) than preschoolers (-42%), as a result of the lockdown (P = 0.044).

CONCLUSION

When the child's exposure to respiratory pathogens is minimal, as in the case of lockdown, a noticeable decline occurs in the incidence of ATH and COME indicated for surgical treatment. Chronic low-grade inflammation, boosted by repetitive viral infections seems to underlie both conditions. Timely, effective isolation measures might reverse the disease process and keep the child away from the Operating Room.

Measuring the Possibility of Middle Ear Discharge for COVID-19 Test Material

The COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, and new variants continue to emerge. Various examination methods and sampling specimens are continuously being developed and published. The standard for sampling is in the nasopharynx. However, in children, this is often uncomfortable and at risk of eliciting complications. Therefore, it is necessary to look for other alternative sampling sites such as fluid from the middle ear. Scientific evidence shows that the middle ear can be a place for the attachment and growth of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Currently, to the best of the author's knowledge, there have been no publications on middle ear discharge as a sample for the determination of the diagnosis of COVID-19. Based on this, the authors would like to explore the possibility of middle ear discharge for COVID-19 test material. A narrative review on the use of middle ear discharge as a potential diagnostic specimen for COVID-19 was conducted. The searches were conducted in the PubMed and ProQuest databases.

Otitis media in coronavirus disease 2019: a case series

Background

Manifestations of the coronavirus disease 2019 in ENT include sore throat, rhinorrhoea, anosmia and dysgeusia. Whether coronavirus disease 2019 causes otitis media is not known.

Objective

To assess the presence of otitis media in a series of patients with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 and ENT symptoms.

Methods

The study included patients with coronavirus disease 2019, confirmed on polymerase chain reaction assay, who had otological (e.g. otalgia, otorrhoea, hearing loss) or other ENT (e.g. anosmia, dysgeusia) manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019, in two tertiary referral hospitals in Iran. Patients were excluded if they had a background of otological problems including previous acute otitis media, chronic otitis media, otological surgery, and trauma or radiotherapy to the head and neck.

Results

Otitis media was found in eight patients with coronavirus disease 2019 and no background of otological problems. Six patients had middle-ear effusion, three had typical signs of acute otitis media, and one had a tympanic membrane perforation. Most patients had hearing loss; conductive hearing loss and mild sensorineural hearing loss at high frequencies were the underlying mechanisms.

Conclusion

Otitis media should be considered a manifestation or associated symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 during the current pandemic.

Interplay Between Socioeconomic Status and Otitis Media Disease Burden in Resource-rich and Resource-poor Nations

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS

To characterize global differences in otitis media (OM)-related disease burden between socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged nations.

METHODS

Using the Global Health Data Exchange, worldwide OM burden was evaluated using age-standardized disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 100,000 individuals in 183 countries from 1990 to 2015. Countries were organized by socioeconomic status using Human Development Index (HDI) values collected from the United Nations Development Program. Gini coefficients and concentration indices were employed to analyze disparities in OM disease burden.

RESULTS

From 1990 to 2015, the mean DALY rate across all nations decreased by 21.9%. When considering disease burden in relation to socioeconomic status, age-standardized DALYs decreased as HDI values increased (p < 0.001). For both children and adults, DALY rates were significantly different between HDI groups (p < 0.01). Gini coefficients decreased from 0.821 in 1990 to 0.810 in 2015, indicating a modest reduction in international health inequality. Global disparities in OM disease burden, as measured by the concentration index, worsened from 1990 to 2010 before showing a small trend reversal in 2015.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first analysis investigating socioeconomic-related global disparities in OM disease burden using HDI values, Gini coefficients, and concentration indices. While the overall mean decrease in DALY rate from 1990 to 2015 is encouraging, the net decrease in concentration index during this period suggests less-developed nations continue to shoulder a disproportionate burden. Greater resource allocation to resource-poor nations may be warranted, as disease burden negatively impacts these countries to a greater degree.

Otitis media

Otitis media (OM) or middle ear inflammation is a spectrum of diseases, including acute otitis media (AOM), otitis media with effusion (OME; 'glue ear') and chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM). OM is among the most common diseases in young children worldwide. Although OM may resolve spontaneously without complications, it can be associated with hearing loss and life-long sequelae. In developing countries, CSOM is a leading cause of hearing loss. OM can be of bacterial or viral origin; during 'colds', viruses can ascend through the Eustachian tube to the middle ear and pave the way for bacterial otopathogens that reside in the nasopharynx. Diagnosis depends on typical signs and symptoms, such as acute ear pain and bulging of the tympanic membrane (eardrum) for AOM and hearing loss for OME; diagnostic modalities include (pneumatic) otoscopy, tympanometry and audiometry. Symptomatic management of ear pain and fever is the mainstay of AOM treatment, reserving antibiotics for children with severe, persistent or recurrent infections. Management of OME largely consists of watchful waiting, with ventilation (tympanostomy) tubes primarily for children with chronic effusions and hearing loss, developmental delays or learning difficulties. The role of hearing aids to alleviate symptoms of hearing loss in the management of OME needs further study. Insertion of ventilation tubes and adenoidectomy are common operations for recurrent AOM to prevent recurrences, but their effectiveness is still debated. Despite reports of a decline in the incidence of OM over the past decade, attributed to the implementation of clinical guidelines that promote accurate diagnosis and judicious use of antibiotics and to pneumococcal conjugate vaccination, OM continues to be a leading cause for medical consultation, antibiotic prescription and surgery in high-income countries.

The interaction between respiratory viruses and pathogenic bacteria in the upper respiratory tract of asymptomatic Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children

BACKGROUND

Associations between respiratory viruses and the bacterial pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis may be important in the pathogenesis of otitis media (OM). However, data on asymptomatic identification rates of respiratory viruses are limited, particularly in Indigenous populations, who suffer a high burden of OM.

METHODS

We describe the identification of respiratory viruses alone and in combination with pathogenic OM bacteria in 1006 nasopharyngeal aspirates collected from asymptomatic Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in a longitudinal community-based cohort study in rural Western Australia.

RESULTS

Viruses were identified in 42% of samples from Aboriginal and 32% from non-Aboriginal children. Rhinoviruses were the most frequently identified virus with higher identification rates in Aboriginal (23.6%) than non-Aboriginal children (16.5%; P = 0.003). Rhinoviruses were associated with H. influenzae (odds ratio [OR], 2.24; 95% CI, 1.24-4.07 for Aboriginal children) and M. catarrhalis (OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.05-3.57 for Aboriginal children). Adenoviruses were positively associated with H. influenzae in Aboriginal children (OR, 3.30; 95% CI, 1.19-9.09) and M. catarrhalis in non-Aboriginal children (OR, 5.75; 95% CI, 1.74-19.23), but negatively associated with S. pneumoniae in Aboriginal children (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.18-0.84).

CONCLUSIONS

We found a high identification rate of rhinoviruses and adenoviruses in asymptomatic children. The associations between these viruses and OM bacteria have implications for preventive strategies targeted at specific pathogens.

Vaccines for otitis media: proposals for overcoming obstacles to progress

Otitis media is a common problem with enormous morbidity worldwide. The development of vaccines to prevent otitis media would have an important human and economic impact. A striking lack of progress in the development, production and clinical testing of vaccines to prevent otitis media has occurred in the past decade. This review outlines a series of specific proposals intended to advance vaccine development for otitis media.