Pseudomonas vaccination in chronic ear disease.

This paper presents the results of a pilot study of vaccination in thirteen patients with chronically infected mastoid cavities or central perforations of the tympanic membrane. In each patient Pseudomonas aeruginosa was repeatedly cultured from the ear and a long list of medical and surgical treatments had been tried, without success, to control the infection. The clinical, bacteriological and immunological responses were monitored over a six-month period. The results are extremely encouraging. Eight patients' ears became dry for the first time in many years. However, three months after vaccination three ears had become reinfected. All of the patients except one had a good immunological response to vaccination, with many-fold increases in the total serum immunoglobulin G, A and M levels.