title: [Otitis media in childhood: a critical review of the literature].
abstract: Infection of the middle ear is one of the most common childhood illnesses accounting for one-third of the pediatrics practice during the first five years of life. Therefore treatment and prevention of the otitis media are of considerable importance. A review of the literature of the otitis media during the pediatric age is reported. In fact in the last years a large amount of knowledge, sometimes referring discordant opinions, has been acquired. The Authors report epidemiology, anatomy, pathology, physiology, microbiology, classification, clinical data diagnosis and therapy of the otitis media. Common conditions of the middle ear (normal, acute otitis media, chronic otitis media, recurrent otitis media) are described. In particular acute otitis media, otitis media with effusion, perforation of the tympanic membrane, fluid level in the middle ear, severe retraction or bulging of the tympanic membrane are pointed out in color-photographs.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Pediatrica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italia.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Currò
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delogu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Cava
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Marchili
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cascioli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Procaccini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cosentino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Polidori
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carboni
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
vernacular_title: L'otite media nell'età pediatrica: revisione critica della letteratura.