IgE sensitization, respiratory allergy symptoms, and heritability independently increase the risk of otitis media with effusion.

Background And Aims: Epidemiological evidence examining the role of atopy and/or allergy in the pathogenesis of otitis media with effusion (OME) is inconclusive. The aim of this study was to assess any increased risk for OME attributable to allergy-related factors, in a well-characterized population using a case-control design and multivariate analysis.

Subjects And Methods: Eighty-eight 1-7-year-old children with OME, diagnosed by clinical and tympanometric evaluation and 80 matched controls were enrolled.