Auris, nasus, larynx
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Auris, nasus, larynx · Apr 2019
Clinical efficacy of anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibody mepolizumab in the treatment of eosinophilic otitis media.
Eosinophilic otitis media (EOM) is an intractable otitis media characterized by a highly viscous effusion containing eosinophils, and it is mostly associated with bronchial asthma. Recently, anti-IL-5 therapy using mepolizumab has been reported to be effective for patients with severe and refractory eosinophilic bronchial asthma. EOM shows accumulation of eiosinophils in the middle ear effusion and most EOM patients have high numbers of peripheral blood eosinophils. Therefore, we carried out a retrospective study to determine whether anti-IL-5 therapy is also effective in the treatment of EOM. ⋯ Anti-IL-5 therapy using mepolizumab was effective at inhibiting eosinophilic recruitment to the middle ear in patients with EOM. However, this therapy showed minimal effect on patients with the granulation type of EOM. Therefore, this therapy may be a viable treatment option for refractory EOM without severe mucosal change.