EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON ALLERGIC OTITIS MEDIA

Part 1: Allergenic effect of Proteus Vulgaris on guinea pigs sentitized with egg albumin

Abstract

The author carried out an experiment on allergy affecting hearing organ of guinea pigs to study the relationship between allergy and chronic otitis media.
A solvtion containing proteus vulgaris was injected into the bulla of the middle ear of 24 normal animals which had been previously sensitized with egg albumin.
The animals were divided into 8 groups of 3 animals each, and were sacrificed at intervals of 4 hours, 1-, 3-, 5-, 7-, 10-, 15-, and 30 days for histo-pathological examination of the bulla and and the labyrinth.
In the 4-hour -and 1-day-specimens, there were accumulation of secretion and falling of cilia out of the ciliary epithelium; there were remarkable edema, bleeding, and eosinophiles (the so-called allergic findings) in the submucous tissue.
The 3-day-specimens showed less edema, bleeding, and eosinophiles; however, proliferation of connective tissue and inflitration of round cells (the so-called infectious findings) were found.
In the 5-, 7-, and 10-day-specimens, there were signs of remarkable inflammation and osteogenesis in the submucous tissue.
In the 15- and 30-day-specimens, the ciliary epithelium returned to normal, and the inflammatory process was subsided in the submucous tissue.
Dilalation of the stria vascularis was noticed in the labyrinth all specimens of 4-hour, 1-, 3-, 5-, 7-, 10-day.
During the course of 15 and 30 days, a tendency of healing to the normal state was detectable.
Each cell was mildly swollen in the organ of Corti. In some cases there were swelling or looseness of Reissner's membrance, most of which, however, showed a normal histology.
In the 3-, 5-, 7-, 10-day speciemns, a secretion of fibrinoid substance was noticed in the scala vestibuli.