Histopathology of Otitis Media in Infants with Cleft and High-Arched Palates

Abstract

The middle ear and the bony and cartilaginous portions of the eustachian tube (ET) were studied histopathologically in 20 temporal bones from 19 infants, aged 45 minutes to 12 months. Otitis media (OM) was observed in 17 of 20 bones, and 16 bones with OM had an effusion. Otitis media was more severe in the ears of cleft palate infants compared to those with high-arched palates. Inflammation was present in the bony portion of the ET in 15 of 17 temporal bones with OM, but appeared to be less marked than that present in the middle ear. In addition, inflammation of the cartilaginous portion of the ET appeared to be less severe than in its bony portion. Inflammation of the middle ear and the ET appeared to be more pronounced in older infants, particularly in those with cleft palates.

Keywords

cleft palate eustachian tube high-arched palate histopathology otitis media

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bluestone

. Eustachian tube obstruction in the infant with cleft palate. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1971; 80(suppl 2) :1–30.

Ross

. Functional anatomy of the tensor palatini — Its relevance in cleft palate surgery. Arch Otolaryngol 1971; 93: 1–8.

Dickson

. Anatomy of the normal and cleft palate eustachian tube. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1976; 80 (suppl 25): 25–9.

Dickson

Rood

. Anatomy of the eustachian tube and related structures in age-matched human fetuses with and without cleft palate. Trans Am Acad Ophthalmol Otolaryngol 1976; 82: 159–64.

Bluestone

Wittel

Paradise

. Roentgenographic evaluation of eustachian tube function in infants with cleft palate and normal palates — With special reference to occurrence of otitis media. Cleft Palate J 1972; 9: 93–100.

Bluestone

Paradise

Beery

. Certain effects of cleft palate repair on eustachian tube function. Cleft Palate J 1972; 9: 183–93.

Rood

Doyle

. An extreme morphologic variation of the auditory tube cartilage: A case report. Cleft Palate J 1981; 18: 293–8.

McManus

JFA

. Histological and histochemical uses of periodic acid. Stain Technol 1948; 23: 99–108.

Preece

. A manual for histologic technicians. 3rd ed. Boston: Little Brown and Co, 1972: 357–9.

10.

Stool

Randall

. Unexpected ear disease in infants with cleft palate. Cleft Palate J 1967; 4: 99–106.

11.

Paradise

Bluestone

Felder

. The universality of otitis media in fifty infants with cleft palate. Pediatrics 1969; 44: 35–42.

12.

Doyle

Cantekin

Bluestone

Phillips

Kimes

Siegel

. Nonhuman primate model of cleft palate and its implications for middle ear pathology. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1980; 89 (suppl 68) :41–6.

13.

Doyle

Cantekin

Bluestone

. Eustachian tube function in cleft palate children. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1980; 89 (suppl 68) :34–40.

14.

Kriens

. Anatomy of the velopharyngeal area in cleft palate. Clin Plast Surg 1975; 2: 261–83.

15.

Latham

Long

Latham

. Cleft palate velopharyngeal musculature in a five-month-old infant: A three dimensional histological reconstruction. Cleft Palate J 1980; 17: 1–16.

16.

Surina

Jagr

. Action potentials of levator and tensor muscles in patients with cleft palate. Acta Chir Plast (Prague) 1969; 11: 21–30.

17.

Zechner

. Auditory tube and middle ear mucosa in nonpurulent otitis media. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1980; 89 (suppl 68) :87–90.

18.

Tos

. Pathogenesis and pathology of chronic secretory otitis media. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1980; 89 (suppl 68) :91–7.

19.

Ishii

Toriyama

Suzuki

. Histopathological study of otitis media with effusion. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1980; 89 (suppl 68) :83–6.