Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T17:06:22.903Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Surface morphology of middle ear epithelium in chronic ear disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

A. M. Agius ,
M. Wake ,
A. L. Pahor  and
L. A. Smallman
A. M. Agius*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham, The Medical School, University of Birmingham.
M. Wake
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, and the Royal Hospital, Wolverhampton, The Medical School, University of Birmingham.
A. L. Pahor
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham, The Medical School, University of Birmingham.
L. A. Smallman
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, The Medical School, University of Birmingham.
*
Mr A. M. Agius, ‘Serenity’, Bergamott Street, Mosta MST 07, Malta.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The ultrastructural details of normal middle ear mucosa have been reported in detail in the literature. This study was aimed at investigating the superficial structure of middle ear epithelium with the scanning electron microscope in patients with persistent otitis media with effusion (OME) and chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), especially in the light of the authors' recent findings regarding decreased ciliary beat frequency (CBF) in patients exposed to tobacco smoke.

Mucosal biopsies were taken from the anterior mesotympanum in four patients with OME and another four patients with CSOM. There was no significant abnormality of cellular surface structure in patients with chronic middle ear disease. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed between smoke exposed and nonsmoke exposed patients. It is concluded that the effect of tobacco smoke on CBF is functional and not related to any anatomical abnormality observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Keywords

Otitis media with effusionOtitis media, chronic suppurativeMicroscopy, electron, scanning
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 108 , Issue 12 , December 1994 , pp. 1024 - 1030
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agius, A. M., Wake, M., Pahor, A. L., Smallman, L. A. (in press) Smoking and middle ear ciliary beat frequency in otitis media with effusion. Acta Otolaryngologica (Stockholm).Google Scholar
Chang, S. C. (1957) Microscopic properties of whole mounts and sections of human bronchial epithelium of smokers and non-smokers. Cancer 10: 1246–1262.3.0.CO;2-Z>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, A. E., Smallman, L. A. (1988) An ultrastructural study of the mucosal surface of the human inferior concha. I. Normal appearances. Journal of Anatomy 161: 61–71.Google Scholar
Heath, D., Kay, J. M. (1985) Respiratory system. In Muir's Textbook of Pathology. 12th Edition. (Anderson, J. E, ed.), Edward Arnold, London, p 16.Google Scholar
Hentzer, E. (1972a) Ultrastructure of the middle ear mucosa in secretory otitis media. I: Serous effusion. Acta Otolaryngologica 73: 394–401.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hentzer, E. (1972b) Ultrastructure of the middle ear mucosa in secretory otitis media. II: Mucous effusion. Acta Otolaryngologica 73: 467–475.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hilding, D. A., Heywood, P. (1971) Ultrastructure of middle ear mucosa and organization of ciliary matrix. Annals of Otology 80: 306–311.Google ScholarPubMed
Kawabata, I., Paparella, M. M. (1969) Ultrastructure of normal human middle ear mucosa. Annals of Otology 78: 125–137.Google ScholarPubMed
Lim, D. J., Hussl, B. (1969) Human middle ear epithelium. Archives of Otolaryngology 89: 57–71.Google ScholarPubMed
Lim, D. J. (1979) Normal and pathological mucosa of the middle ear and eustachian tube. Clinical Otolaryngology 4: 213–234.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lim, D. J., Shimada, T. (1973) Distribution of mucus-secreting cells in normal middle ear mucosa. Archives of Otolaryngology 98: 2–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Proctor, D. F. (1982) Respiratory mucous membrane function. In The Nose: Upper Airway Physiology and the Atmospheric Environment (Proctor, D. F., Andersen, I. B., eds.), Elsevier Biomedical Press, Amsterdam, p 131.Google Scholar
Sadé, J. (1967) Ciliary activity and middle ear clearance. Archives of Otolaryngology 86: 128–135.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shimada, T., Lim, D. J. (1972) Distribution of ciliated cells in the human middle ear. Annals of Otology 81: 203–211.Google ScholarPubMed
Tos, M. (1980) Middle ear epithelia in chronic secretory otitis. Archives of Otolaryngology 106: 593–597.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed