AUTOIMMUNE ETIOLOGY IN OTITIS MEDIA WITH EFFUSION

M. Kiroglu, B. Aydoğan, İ., Yildirim, S. Ozbek, E. Erken

An association between otitis media with effusion and autoimmune disease is postulated in this study. Tissue samples of normal middle ear mucosa were exposed to serum samples of 20 patients with OME to search for the antibodies against middle ear mucosa by immunofloresence technique. It was found that positive staining was obtained in 7 patients (35%) and no staining was obtained in 13 patients (65%) A possible autoimmune etiologic factor affecting the middle ear is discussed. It appears that autoimmune antibodies against middle ear mucosa may be associated with middle ear effusion