Non-Invasive Optical Screening of Streptococcus Pneumonia Based Inflammatory Changes of the Tympanic Membrane and Mastoid Mucosa in Guinea Pig Otitis Media Using Optical Coherence Tomography

The accurate screening of otitis media (OM) lies in clarifying the numerous confounding and quantitative factors that are discovered during primary inspections. Increased awareness about bacterial biofilms and inflammation has allowed researchers to develop a better understanding of the bacterial infections that occur in the middle ear. In this study, four live guinea pigs were inoculated with Streptococcus pneumonia to induce OM-related inflammatory changes. Since optical techniques have been effectively used for diagnosis in medicine, low-coherence interferometry-based optical coherence tomography (OCT) was employed for depth-resolved high-resolution data screening. Multiple locations of the tympanic membrane (TM), mastoid mucosa, and round window membrane were examined to assess inflammatory changes. We performed qualitative assessments and thickness quantifications and investigated the variations due to adverse inflammatory affects. The findings of the present study provide a better understanding of S. pneumonia bacteria caused inflammatory changes in middle ear and it further provides a fundamental platform for future clinical utility.