ABSTRACT
Otitis media with effusion (OME) is chronic inflammation of the middle ear mucosa, and accumulation of mucus in the middle ear space, with no signs of infection. Both mucosal inflammatory change and mucus accumulation can potentially extend to involve the mastoid cells. The typical presentation is with hearing loss, possibly following an upper respiratory illness, with or without otalgia. The usual definition of ‘chronic’ in this context is 12 weeks.
