a common condition in which viscous fluid accumulates in the middle ear, causing deafness. It is most frequently seen in children and is due to malfunction of the Eustachian tube. Many cases resolve spontaneously; treatment, if required, consists of surgical incision of the eardrum (myringotomy), drainage of the fluid, and the insertion of a grommet. Medical names: otitis media with effusion, secretory otitis media.
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a chronic condition marked by a collection of fluid of high viscosity in the middle ear, due to obstruction of the eustachian tube with or without tympanic membrane atelectasis (q.v.).Medical dictionary. 2011.