Mastoid biofilm in chronic otitis media.

HYPOTHESIS: We designed a study to determine the role of mastoid mucosal biofilm in chronic otitis media (COM). BACKGROUND: Biofilm formation has been found in several chronic airway infections. COM is associated with chronic, recalcitrant infection of the mastoid mucosa, and surgery often is required. METHODS: COM patients were divided into 2 groups: one with chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) and one with cholesteatoma presence. All COM patients had mastoid involvement in a preoperative computed tomographic scan. The control group consisted of patients undergoing cochlear implantation, with no previous history of chronic otitis media. Mastoid mucosa samples were harvested during mastoidectomy. The samples were studied with multiplex-polymerase chain reaction and with CSLM using BacLight Live/Dead stain. Routine bacterial culture was performed in selected cases. RESULTS: A total of 29 COM patients underwent mastoidectomy. Mastoid mucosal biofilm formation could be found in 19 (66%) of these patients. In the control group, there were 11 cases of cochlear implantation, and 1 patient (9%) presented mastoid mucosal biofilm. In the cholesteatoma group, there were 17 patients, of which, 14 (82%) presented biofilm, whereas in the CSOM group, 5 (42%) of 12 patients presented biofilm. The correlation between COM and biofilm was statistically significant (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.003), as was the correlation between cholesteatoma and biofilm, in comparison with the CSOM group (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.046). CONCLUSION: Mastoid mucosal biofilm could be seen in patients with COM with or without cholesteatoma. The role of mastoid biofilm in the development of cholesteatoma should be studied further.

Bacterial biofilm associated with chronic laryngitis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of biofilm on the vocal fold epithelium of patients with chronic laryngitis. Bacteria can grow in biofilm protected by a glycoprotein mass. Recent studies have shown the importance of biofilm in chronic otolaryngologic infections. Because chronic laryngitis is often recurrent and occasionally purulent, we hypothesized that it is biofilm related. DESIGN: Prospective, controlled, blinded study. Epithelial biopsy specimens from true vocal folds from patients with chronic laryngitis undergoing diagnostic laryngomicroscopy were prepared for confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) microarray: CSLM images were evaluated for bacterial biofilm morphologic characteristics; PCR with microarray-based diagnostic assay was used to identify the bacterial species involved. Patients with vocal fold polyp served as control cases. SETTING: Tertiary care university hospital. PATIENTS: Eighteen consecutive patients were enrolled in the study. Thirteen of them had chronic laryngitis, and 5 had vocal fold polyps. RESULTS: In 9 cases, the CSLM revealed bacterial growth in biofilm form, and most of these specimens (8 out of 9) were from patients with chronic laryngitis. The PCR results were positive in 13 cases, including all 9 biofilm-positive cases. CONCLUSIONS: Direct detection of biofilm in laryngeal biopsy specimens from patients with chronic laryngitis supports the hypothesis that chronic laryngitis may be biofilm related. Biofilm was found in 62% of the cases of chronic laryngitis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of bacterial biofilm associated with chronic laryngitis; however, further investigation is warranted before a clear conclusion can be drawn.