Ciliary count in chronic suppurative otitis media: comparative quantitative study between mucosal and squamous types using scanning electron microscopy and image analysis

The objective of this study was to prove ciliary destruction in the middle-ear mucous membrane in cases of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) and to compare both types of chronic suppurative otitis media with regard to the degree of ciliary destruction and ciliary count using objective quantitative techniques. The mucosa of the anterior mesotympanum over the promontory was sampled in 10 patients with mucosal CSOM and in another 10 patients with squamous type CSOM. Specimens were examined by scanning electron microscopy in combination with image analysis software techniques in order to study the cilia under higher magnifications and to calculate the ciliary area. Five patients with otosclerosis, no history suggestive of otitis media and normal ear drum appearance served as controls. Samples were taken and studied at the Faculty of Medicine of Cairo University. CSOM was found to be associated with significant ciliary destruction and this was more evident in the squamous type than in the mucosal type.