Secretory Otitis Media in Children

Causes of glue ear

“…Support for the antibiotic theory was widespread during the 1950s (Hoople, 1950;Tremble, 1951;Suehs, 1952;Simpson, 1953;Samuels, 1955;Woodward. 1956;Theobald, 1958;Davison, 1958). It was an attractive theory for two reasons-the recent introduction and use of antibiotics coincided with the increase in surgical rate, and it was thought to offer a biologically plausible explanation as described by Suehs-'many of the cases of (glue ear) seen in children undoubtedly represent aborted acute otitis media that would have become suppurative had they not received antibiotics'.…”

“…will be attributable to the misuse of antibiotic therapy in childhood'. The responsibility for this 'promiscuous use and misuse' was seen to be shared by physician and parents (Theobald, 1958)-'all too often the person concerned well nigh insists that he or his (sic) child be given a 'shot' of penicillin'.…”

The structure and function of the nasopharyngeal lymphoid tissue with special reference to the aetiology of secretory otitis

“…CONTROVERSY continues on the role of the adenoids in chronic secretory otitis of childhood. On the one hand there are those who regard adenoidectomy as an essential step in the management of these cases (Theobald, 1958); on the other are those who regard the operation as quite unnecessary (Bauer, 1968). This is clearly a practical clinical problem which could be solved by a properly controlled trial.…”

Serous Otitis Media

“…Furthermore, the sterilization of an otitis media by antibiotics and residual fluid undrained by paracentesis set the stage for organization of the inflammatory exudate and permanent impairment of hearing. Theobald 8 and Updegraff 16 note the possi¬ bility of irreversible changes taking place in the middle ear which lead to permanent deafness in cases of neglected chronic serous otitis media. These changes occur as adhesions and cholesteatoma 18 and have been pointed out by Politzer,2 Woodward,22 Derlacki and Shambaugh,23 and others.…”