THE RELATION BETWEEN THE DEGREE OF MASTOID PNEUMATIZATION HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES OF MIDDLE EAR MUCOSA AND MIDDLE EAR PRESSURE IN OTITIS MEDIA

对36例OME患儿在置管后14天、1个月、3个月、6个月、12个月及18个月以上进行了中耳腔压力和容积的在线测量。结果表明，中耳腔容积与X线片上乳突骨化程度的相关系数在置管后3个月和4个月最高，而与X线片上乳突骨化程度的相关系数在置管后4个月最低。这种相关性表明，由OME的炎症肥大的粘膜，直到这个时候才转向粘膜的正常厚度。中耳腔压力在同一时间最低，此后逐渐升高。中耳压力升高的恢复率与中耳粘膜的组织病理学改变密切相关。关于中耳压力的恢复率，低炎症组的数据与高炎症组的数据相比可以区分出显著差异。高度炎症组患者压力恢复正常需一年以上，提示测量中耳腔压力和容积对判断OME的恢复期有一定的参考价值。

On-line measurements of the pressure and volume of the middle ear cavity were performed in thirty six cases of OME in children with insertion of ventilation tube, at 14days, 1months, 3months, 6months, 12months and more than 18 months after the insertion of a tympanostomy tube. The data of the pressure and volume were investigated together with the degree of mastoid pneumatization on X-ray film and the histopathological chages of middle ear mucosa samples.Our observation showed that the coefficient of correlation in comparing the data of the volume of middle ear cavity to the data of the degree of pneumatization on X-ray film was highest at three and four months after insertion of tympanostomy tube. This correlation indicated that the hypertrophied mucosa by the inflammation of OME turned to the normal thickness of mucosa until this time. The pressure of middle ear cavity was lowest at this same time and after that it elevated gradually. The recovery rate of elevation of the middle ear pressure was closely related to the histopathological changes of midle ear mucosa. Regarding the recovery rate of the middle ear pressure, significant difference could be distinguished in comparing the data of the low inflamed group to the data of the high inflamed group. In high inflamed group, it took more than one year when the pressure turned to the normal level.This sutdy showed that the measurements of pressure and volume of middle ear cavity was useful to evaluate the recovery phase of OME.