| Description |
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One of the most common reactions of the mucoperiosteum to injury or severe infection is the production of granulation tissue. In adhesive otitis media, the fibroblasts within this granulation tissue may lay down new fibrous tissue, which becomes dense and avascular over time. When this process involves mucosal surfaces that are in juxtaposition, the resulting scar tissue will form a fibrous adhesion between the two surfaces.
In mild cases only a few adhesions may be present, while in the more severely affected ear, the adhesions are larger and more numerous, and ankylosis of the ossicular chain may occur (ossicular fixation). These fibrous adhesions may arise as a complication of any inflammatory process either suppurative or nonsuppurative, that has been severe enough to damage the mucosal lining of the middle ear, e.g. acute suppurative otitis media, chronic suppurative otitis media, or persistent mucoid otitis media.
A conductive hearing loss is the principal symptom of patients with this condition. The patient may have a history of previous episodes of otitis, e.g. earache or otorrhea. However, in about 50% of patients, there is no history of prior ear symptoms. |
