Spontaneous Tympanic Membrane Perforation in Infants Aged < 3 Months with Acute Otitis Media

Objective: Acute otitis media (AOM) is among the most common infec-tious childhood diseases, and during its course, spontaneous tympanic membrane perforation (STMP) can occur. Babies aged <3 months are more vulnerable to complications of AOM than those aged >3 months. This study aimed to determine the clinical course in babies aged <3 months with AOM and STMP.Material and Methods:The study included babies aged <3 months that were hospitalized for AOM and STMP. Patient medical records, including patient characteristics, clinical and laboratory findings, antibiotic treat-ment, and organisms isolated from clinical specimens, were retrospec-tively reviewed.Results: There were 31 patients with a mean age of 59 +/- 19.6 days (d). Mean duration of complaint before hospital admission was 3.7 +/- 3.6 d. The most common complaint was ear discharge [n= 16 (51.6%)]. The most common pathogen isolated from pus cultures was Streptococcus pyogenes [n= 3 (27%)]. Among the patients, one had Moraxella catarrh-alis bacteremia, one developed mastoiditis as a complication of AOM.Conclusion: During the course of AOM and STMP in patients aged <3 months, bacteremia, and mastoiditis can complicate the prognosis. An-tibiotics that target the bacteria which cause AOM should be preferred. Clinicians should be aware that S. pyogenes can cause STMP in young babies with AOM.