ArticleDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)2021
Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Virus in the Middle Ear of Deceased COVID-19 Patients.
Article in Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Relationship between COVID-19 and "three inflammations and one deafness": a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Pooled it
- SARS-CoV-2-induced sensory perturbations: A narrative review of clinical phenotypes, molecular pathologies, and possible interventions.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2025Review
- Effect of COVID-19 on the characteristics and outcome of patients who have otitis media with effusion: a case-control study.Head & face medicine · 2024Article
- COVID-19-related secretory otitis media in the omicron era: a case series.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2023Article
- SARS-CoV-2 in the Middle Ear-CovEar: A Prospective Pilot Study.Journal of personalized medicine · 2023Article
- Middle ear status - structure, function and pathology: A scoping review on middle ear status of COVID-19 positive patients.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir Kommunikasieafwykings · 2022Article
- COVID-19 and otologic surgery.Operative techniques in otolaryngology--head and neck surgery · 2022Article
- ENT symptoms in acute COVID-19: a narrative review.Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale · 2022Review
- Measuring the Possibility of Middle Ear Discharge for COVID-19 Test Material.Interdisciplinary perspectives on infectious diseases · 2022Review
- Respiratory Nasal Mucosa in Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps versus COVID-19: Histopathology, Electron Microscopy Analysis and Assessing of Tissue Interleukin-33.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
14 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the middle ear reveals the etiopathogenesis of otitis media in COVID-19, as well as an epidemiological risk during otologic examination and surgical procedures in COVID-19 patients. The study included 8 deceased patients with COVID-19. Tissue samples from the middle ear were subjected to virology, histopathology, scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy investigation. Ethmoidal mucosa samples were processed for virology analyses. qPCR resulted positive for 75% of nasal mucosa samples and 50% of middle ear samples. Ct values showed lower viral loads in middle ear samples. A proportion of 66.6% patients with positive results in the nasal mucosa showed positive results in the middle ear, and the subtype analysis of the complete genome sequences indicated B.1.1.7 lineage for all samples. In histopathological and SEM samples, no pathological aspects were identified. TEM revealed on the background of death critical alteration of cellular morphology, suggestive structures resembling SARS-CoV-2, goblet cells and immune cells. SARS-CoV-2 can be present in the middle ear of COVID-19 patients even if there is not clinical evidence of acute otitis media. Otolaryngologists could be particularly exposed to COVID-19 infection.
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