Aetiology

Common causes of acute otitis media include:

• common cold
• acute tonsillitis
• influenza
• coryza - profuse discharge of the nose - of measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough.

Rare causes of otitis media include:

• sinusitis
• tonsillectomy
• haemotympanum
• trauma of the tympanic membrane
• air flight and scuba diving - barotrauma
• fracture of the temporal bone

About 29%-50% of all upper respiratory tract infections develop into acute otitis media (1).

In children the relative immaturity of the Eustachian tube and immune defence mechanisms are also probably significant.

Reference:

• (1) Revai K et al. Incidence of acute otitis media and sinusitis complicating upper respiratory tract infection: the effect of age. Pediatrics 2007;119(6):e1408-e1412