ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tympanostomy tube insertion is one of the most common surgical procedures in children. Despite aseptic procedures with prophylactic antibiotic treatment, postoperative otorrhea may be encountered in some patients. The purpose of this study is to identify the relation between the types of immune cells in otitis media with effusion (OME) and tympanostomy tube otorrhea (TTO) in children. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Fifty-six patients underwent tympanostomy tube insertion with OME were analyzed retrospectively. Fluid from OME was harvested by suction via syringe connector after myringotomy. Light microscopic examination of middle ear effusion was performed by a pathologist after hematoxylin and eosin staining. We analyzed the relation between the types of immune cells from middle ear effusion and TTO. RESULTS: Of 56 children, 36 were male and 22 were female. The mean age for tympanostomy tube insertion was 3.56 (±2.63) years, with the average follow-up period of 12.56 (±9.96) months. Neutrophils were detected in 19, eosinophils in 14, lymphocytes in 22, mast cells in 2, plasma cells in 7, and histiocytes in 9. TTO occurred in 15 patients. In patients with early TTO, eosinophils were detected more frequently than in patients without TTO (p=0.006). Plasma cells were detected more frequently in patient with late TTO than without TTO (p=0.011). CONCLUSION: According to the analysis of different types of immune cells, eosinophils in the middle ear effusion related with the occurrence of TTO.