title: Acute otalgia in Nigerian children.
abstract: A study of 112 referred children with acute otalgia labeled 'acute otitis media' by the referring physicians was carried out at the E.N.T. clinic of Lagos University Teaching Hospital in 1981-1982. Only 11% of these were actually due to acute otitis media, reflecting poor technique at otoscopy. Of the acute otalgia cases 56% were due to ear pathology while 44% resulted from referred pain. Otological causes included foreign body in the ear (23%), acute otitis media (11%), otitis externa (10%), secretory otitis media (6%) and myringitis bullosa haemorrhagica (4%). Cases due to referred otalgia were from tonsillitis (21%), foreign body in the pharynx (5%), traditional uvulectomy (5%), and foreign body in the nose (2%). Thus, there is a need for more careful examination of the ear in all cases of acute otalgia.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004433:Earache / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D010032:Otitis Externa / Q000150:complications; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications; D014609:Uvula / Q000601:surgery