Longitudinal OCT tracking of antibiotic treatment response on experimentally induced otitis media

To non-invasively assess the impact of antibiotic therapy on otitis media (OM), a handheld OCT system was developed to longitudinally monitor in vivo middle ear conditions of OM-induced chinchilla models. The formation of middle ear effusions (MEEs) and biofilm were examined over the course of the infection. Furthermore, the effect of antibiotics on the biofilm as well as the amount and type of MEEs was investigated with low-dose and high-dose antibiotics (ceftriaxone). Quantitative parameters, such as TM thickness and effusion and biofilm scattering/texture, were correlated with histology and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) at the end time point.