Formation of Biofilm in Patients with Chronic Otitis Media and Cholesteatoma / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In many chronic infections, bacteria are present as a form of biofilms. Recently, bacterial biofilm has been implicated in persistent or recurrent chronic otolaryngologic infections, because they are highly resistant to treatment with antimicrobial agents and capable of shedding individual bacteria to the surrounding tissues. In this study, we aimed to evaluate biofilm in chronic middle ear infections. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A total of 85 cases with chronic middle ear infections were included in this study. Histomorphologic studies for middle ear granulations and cholesteatomas were performed using light and electron microscopy. RESULTS: In middle ear granulations, about 33% of the cases showed the evidence of bacterial biofilm. In comparison, about 64% of the cases in cholesteatoma tissues have the evidences of bacterial biofilm. CONCLUSION: Biofilms are associated with chronic middle ear infection and they may play a role in the pathogenesis of refractory or persistent chronic middle ear infections.