Intranasal versus systemic corticosteroids in treatment of otitis media with effusion in the presence or absence of adenoid hypertrophy in children

• Main Authors: Sayed M. S. Kadah, Tawfik A. E. Elkholy, Hebatullah K. E. Tammam
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2019-08-01
• Series: The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology
• Subjects: otitis media with effusion; systemic steroids; topical nasal steroids
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.4103/ejo.ejo_10_19

Abstract Background Otitis media with effusion (OME) is defined as the presence of fluid in the middle ear without signs or symptoms of acute infection. The condition is common and affects ~90% of children before school age, who develop an average of four episodes of OME per year, most often between the ages of 6 months and 4 years. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the role of systemic versus local corticosteroids in treatment of OME in the presence or the absence adenoid hypertrophy in children. Patients and methods In our study, 60 children who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were divided into two equal groups: group A included children with OME with adenoidal hypertrophy and group B included children with OME without adenoidal hypertrophy. Then, each group was subdivided into two groups, where one received topical intranasal steroids (A1 and B1), and the other one received oral steroids (A2 and B2). Tympanograms were done for all patients every 2 weeks. Results The final result is that both topical intranasal and systemic steroids are effective in the treatment of OME in children, without significant difference between the two methods, so oral steroid complications could be avoided by using local steroid spray, and the effectiveness of steroids (oral or topical) in treatment of OME is better in absence of adenoidal hypertrophy than in the presence of adenoidal hypertrophy. Conclusion Both topical intranasal and oral steroids are effective adjunctive treatment for OME in children in the short term.