Introduction:

Otitis media with effusion (OME) is one of the most common diseases in childhood. It is the most common reason of acquired hearing loss in pre-school childhood. We aimed to draw attention to the importance of diagnosing OME by otoscopic and tympanometric examination in early eras and to determine the risk factors in our cases.

Methods:

The present study was conducted in our hospital with a total of 31 OME children between the ages of 8 months and 6 years who were followed by the children’s and otorhinolaryngology clinics between 2013 and 2014. The etiologic factors in patients who were detected with effusion by otoscopic and tympanometric examination were documented.

Results:

A total of 350 children were evaluated between the ages of 8 months and 6 years. Of the total, only 31 children (8.8%) were diagnosed with OME. The mean age of children was 27.1±16.9 months. Seventeen patients (54.8%) were males, and 14 patients (45%) were females. Twenty-nine had bilateral OME. Type B tympanogram curves were found in 54 (90%), and type C2 curves were found in 6 (10%) of all patients. The sensitivity of the skin prick test was found in 33.3% for one or more allergens. The skin prick test was positive in all cases in which eosinophil cationic protein levels were considered significantly positive. The adenoid tissue was larger than normal sizes in 13 (43.3%) patients.

Conclusion:

OME is a serious public health problem with leading conductive type hearing loss, retardation of speech, and developmental speech and language problems. Therefore, otoscopic examination is crucial in children in all hospital admissions for any reasons.

Keywords: Otitis media with effusion, child, etiology