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Aetiology

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

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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.

Reference:

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