Balloon dilation of Eustachian tube combined with triamcinolone acetonide therapy for secretory otitis media.

Purpose: To determine the effect of combining Eustachian tube balloon dilatation with triamcinolone acetonide on inflammatory response and immune function in secretory otitis media patients. Methods: Seventy-six (76) patients diagnosed with acute secretory otitis media in the Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China were randomly assigned to study group (SG) and control group (CG). Patients in CG received 40 mg triamcinolone acetonide injections in the tympanic membrane weekly for 4 weeks, while SG patients were administered Eustachian tube balloon dilatation in addition to triamcinolone acetonide injection. Pre- and posttreatment assessments in the two evaluated groups included the proportion of T lymphocytes, serum inflammatory molecules and Eustachian Tube Score (ETS). Results: The study group exhibited a significantly higher efficacy (92.1 %) than the control group (68.4 %; p < 0.05). In addition, the study group exhibited higher CD8+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ ratio and T cells proportion after treatment (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the concentration of serum inflammatory cytokines (PCT, IL-2, IL-4, TNF-α) in SG was significantly lower than that in CG (p < 0.05). Also, the ETS score in CG was lower (3.53 ± 2.40) compared to SG (5.25 ± 2.02) after treatment (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The combination of triamcinolone acetonide and Eustachian tube balloon dilation demonstrates enhanced efficacy in alleviating symptoms, diminishing inflammatory responses and reestablishing immune balance in the treatment of acute secretory otitis media, underscoring its significant promise. Longer follow-up and larger sample size prospective studies are, however, warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]