Otitis media with effusion:: the role of Alloiococcus otitidis

Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common condition that can cause deafness as well as speech and behavioural disturbance. It has long been considered to be a noninfective process resulting from Eustachian tube dysfunction; however, molecular biological techniques have implicated bacteria in the aetiology of this condition. One such organism is Alloiococcus otitidis, which has been detected in middle ear fluid of patients with OME which has not yielded micro-organisms with conventional microbiological culture methods. The exact role of this infectious agent in the pathogenesis of otitis media has yet to be elucidated.