Unsolved problems and new medical approaches to otitis media

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Otitis media (OM) is a spectrum of infectious and inflammatory diseases that involve the middle ear. It includes acute otitis media (AOM), otitis media with effusion (OME) and chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM).

Areas covered

This manuscript discusses some of the emerging and unsolved problems regarding OM, and some of the newly developed prophylactic and therapeutic medical measures.

Expert opinion

In recent years, considerable progress in the knowledge of OM physiopathology has been made. However, although extremely common, diseases included under OM have not been adequately studied, and many areas of development, evolution and possible treatments of these pathologies are not defined. It is necessary that these deficiencies be quickly overcome if we want to reduce the total burden of a group of diseases that still have extremely high medical, social and economic relevance.

KEYWORDS:

• Acute otitis media
• antibiotic therapy
• chronic suppurative otitis media
• otitis media with effusion
• vaccine

Article highlights

• Otitis media (OM) is a spectrum of infectious and inflammatory diseases that involve the middle ear. It includes acute otitis media (AOM), otitis media with effusion (OME) and chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM). AOM is an acute disease, and OME can be both acute and chronic, whereas CSOM is a chronic condition.

• Alternative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to identify and cure these cases have been proposed. Unfortunately, the best therapeutic solution for the various clinical manifestations has not yet been identified, and further studies are needed before new therapeutic proposals can be accepted.

• Although extremely common, diseases included under OM have not been adequately studied, and many areas of development, evolution and possible treatments of these pathologies are not defined. It is necessary that these deficiencies be quickly overcome if we want to reduce the total burden of a group of diseases that still have extremely high medical, social and economic relevance.

• Probably closer is the advent of more effective prophylaxis measures that, directly addressed to OMA prevention, may also have positive implications on the incidence of OME and CSOM. New pneumococcal conjugate vaccines containing a greater number of pneumococcal serotypes and universal influenza vaccines based on conserved proteins are in advanced stages of development.

Declaration of Interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer Disclosures

One of the reviewers has received research grants from Merck and Pfizer and honorarium for advisory board meetings. Two additional peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper is not funded.