An observation of children with otitis media with effusion revealed the following: The highest incidence of OME was at age 5-6 with the incidence gradually decreasing as age increased. There was another elevation of incidence at age 10, where the disease of tympanic membrane tended to aggravate.
These two peaks of high incidence were found to coincide with the ages of acute development in the mastoid pneumatization.
The authors suggest that the development of OME is related to the development of mastoid pneumatization.
