OME is the accumulation of sterile mucus in the middle ear. It may follow upper respiratory tract infection, acute otitis media or allergic rhinitis. Sometimes, OME may be due to congenital abnormalities. Children aged 2 years and first-year primary school children are more vulnerable to OME.
The main curative treatment for adenoid hypertrophy is surgery. Medical treatment with topical nasal steroid spray can be used, but it is not curative and takes a long time.
OME is initially managed with medical treatment for 1-2 weeks followed by a watchful waiting period of 12 medical treatments, which may include steroids (nasal topical or systemic), antibiotics, nasal decongestants and mucolytics together with auto inflation of the Eustachian tube.
Surgery is needed when OME persist despite medical treatment and 12 weeks of watchful and waiting period.
The most commonly performed surgical operation for patients with OME is Myringotomy with the aspiration of the middle ear fluid and insertion of a ventilation tube that is usually made of Teflon. This surgical operation is mostly combined with Adenoidectomy when adenoid tissue hypertrophy and the impede proper Eustachian tube function.
