Chronic non-suppurative inflammation of the middle ear has been well divided by one of our American writers into two great classes (St. John Roosa):—
CATARRHAL AND PROLIFEROUS.
Politzer and Gruber accept the same classification but under different names. Others subdivide these terms, giving each a local habitation according to its most conspicuous lesion.
By proliferous disease is meant that form of chronic non-suppurative catarrh in which there are marked changes in increase or hypertrophy of tissue, attended by little or no fluid secretion, i. e., a dry catarrh (Roosa.) This disease is characterized chiefly by its insiduous course, having little or no symptoms beyond gradually increasing deafness and tinnitus aurium. It eventuates in entire sclerosis (hence the name given to it, by some writers, of "sclerosis of the middle ear") and profound deafness. The tinnitus may indeed be the only symptom of which the patient may complain. He may indignantly