OBJECTIVE: Eosinophilic otitis media (EOM) is an intractable otitis media characterized by a highly viscous effusion containing eosinophils, and high levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) E are detected in the middle ear effusion (MEE). We carried out a pilot study to determine whether anti-IgE therapy is efficacious in the treatment of EOM. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eight patients with EOM received the anti-IgE agent omalizumab for at least 3 months, in addition to ordinary treatments for EOM. They were evaluated by a questionnaire for ear and respiratory symptoms, clinical scores, surrogate markers in the blood, and hearing acuity before and after the anti-IgE therapy. Nine EOM patients without anti-IgE therapy were included as controls. RESULTS: The ear symptom scores and clinical scores gradually decreased during the therapy. In particular, 5 patients who were treated for more than 1 year showed improvement of their clinical scores with resolution of the MEE. The total serum IgE level was significantly elevated after 3 months of therapy (p < 0.01). Deterioration of the bone conduction hearing levels was more frequently found in the control group than in the omalizumab group. CONCLUSION: This pilot study provides new evidence establishing that long-term anti-IgE therapy improved the clinical ear symptoms of EOM and bone conduction hearing levels were mostly preserved. Therefore, long-term anti-IgE therapy can be effective for EOM to inhibit eosinophilic inflammation in the middle ear.
OBJECTIVE:Eosinophilic otitis media (EOM) is an intractable otitis media characterized by a highly viscous effusion containing eosinophils, and high levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) E are detected in the middle ear effusion (MEE). We carried out a pilot study to determine whether anti-IgE therapy is efficacious in the treatment of EOM. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eight patients with EOM received the anti-IgE agent omalizumab for at least 3 months, in addition to ordinary treatments for EOM. They were evaluated by a questionnaire for ear and respiratory symptoms, clinical scores, surrogate markers in the blood, and hearing acuity before and after the anti-IgE therapy. Nine EOM patients without anti-IgE therapy were included as controls. RESULTS: The ear symptom scores and clinical scores gradually decreased during the therapy. In particular, 5 patients who were treated for more than 1 year showed improvement of their clinical scores with resolution of the MEE. The total serum IgE level was significantly elevated after 3 months of therapy (p < 0.01). Deterioration of the bone conduction hearing levels was more frequently found in the control group than in the omalizumab group. CONCLUSION: This pilot study provides new evidence establishing that long-term anti-IgE therapy improved the clinical ear symptoms of EOM and bone conduction hearing levels were mostly preserved. Therefore, long-term anti-IgE therapy can be effective for EOM to inhibit eosinophilic inflammation in the middle ear.
Authors: Matteo Ferrando; Diego Bagnasco; Gilda Varricchi; Stefano Bernardi; Alice Bragantini; Giovanni Passalacqua; Giorgio Walter Canonica Journal: Allergy Asthma Immunol Res Date: 2017-01 Impact factor: 5.764