Rare diseases · Sign or symptom
Glue ear
HP:0040262
What it means
Middle ear is filled with glue-like fluid instead of air.
In some contexts, glue ear is used interchangeably with otitis media with effusion (OME) (PMID:21653931). Some authors use glue ear to refer to a subtype of OME characterized by thick, glue-like fluid buildup in the middle ear (mucoid otitis media) (PMID:10993548). Serous otitis media is usually responsive to medical treatment, whereas mucoid otitis media is not. This term refers to the mucoid subtype.
Rare diseases that can present with this3
The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.
Part of the broader category
Tracking symptoms like this for someone? Eleplan keeps symptoms, diagnoses, medications and every specialist in one plan.
Start free with EleplanThis page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.