Expression of Toll-like receptors on peripheral blood white cells in acute otitis media.

Objective: From 10 to 15% of children suffer from recurrent acute otitis media (AOM). An association between polymorphism in TLRs and their co-receptor CD14 with otitis media proneness has been described in children. Moreover, the experiments on animal models have shown that TLRs and their signaling molecules are critical for timely resolution of bacterial otitis.

[Keratinocyte growth factor and its receptor in middle-ear cholesteatoma].

Aim: Etiology of middle ear cholesteatoma is far from beeing elicidated. Current concepts postulate that cholesteatoma is the result of disturbed wound healing process. Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) plays important role in wound healing, so it seemed interesting to assess the expression of KGF and its receptor in the cholesteatoma.

The status of the contralateral ear in children with acquired cholesteatoma.

Conclusion: The high prevalence of pathological changes in the contralateral ear (CLE) among children treated because of middle ear cholesteatoma (MEC) was observed. Evolution of many retraction pockets into cholesteatoma points to the need for early intervention in those patients, especially those with concomitant attic retraction pockets and secretory otitis media (SOM).

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of pathological changes in the CLE of children operated because of MEC, and to determine their clinical evolution.

[The status of contralateral ear in children with cholesteatoma].

Introduction: Recently published data indicate that over 60% of patients with middle ear cholesteatoma (MEC) have concomitant changes in the contralateral ear (CE). Studies concerning the condition of the CE are few and rarely present the situation in the pediatric population.

The Aim Of This Study: was to assess the frequency of pathological changes occurring in the CE in children operated on MEC, as well as to determine their clinical evolution.