Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Versus Bacterial Culture in Detection of Organisms in Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) in Children.

The aim of this study was to compare between polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and bacterial culture in detection of Streptococcus Pneumonia and M. Catarrhalis in otitis media with effusion (OME) in children. Fifty patients having OME were included in this study between 2003 and 2008. Myringotomy and tympanostomy tube insertion were done in every patient and the middle ear effusion samples were aspirated. The samples were subjected to bacteriological study in the form of culture and molecular study in the form of PCR using JM201/202-204 primer probe set for both S. pneumonia and M. catarrhalis. The results of Bacterial cultures are as follows: five cases (10%) were culture positive for S. pneumonia. Six cases (12%) were culture positive for M. catarrhalis. Only one case (2%) showed positively for both S. pneumonia and M. catarrhalis. Polymerase chain reaction test shows that 18 cases (36%) were positive for S. pneumonia, 22 cases (44%) were positive for M. catarrhalis, 6 cases (12%) were positive for both organism and 4 cases (8%) were negative. The difference between the proportion of culture positive and PCR positive specimens for both organisms individually and collectively was significant (P < 0.001). From our study we can conclude that PCR is more accurate than bacterial culture in detection of organisms in middle ear fluid in OME and that M. catarrhalis plays a significant rule in OME as it is the sole organism identified more than the other one by PCR.