Keywords: chronic secretory otitis media, nasopharynx, bacteria, virus

Abstract: The role of bactéria and viruses in the pathogenesis of chronic otitis media with effusion (COME) is unclear. In this study, the authors cultured the nasopharynxx and middle ear of 30 children with clinical diagnosis of COME, confirmed by tympanometry. Cultures of the middle ear effusions were positive for bactéria in 33,6%, and for vir-uses in 16,5%. Nasopharyngeal cultures revealed bactéria in 66,4% of the children, and viruses were isolatedin 16,6%. The bactéria most comnlonly identified were streptococci and staphilococci, and the most common viruses were adenoviruses, followed by respiratory syncitial viruses.