American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology Meeting

The 1992 meeting of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ASPO) was held in Palm Desert, Calif, as part of the Combined Otolaryngologic Spring Meetings. The guest of honor was Dr Francis I. Catlin. Dr Catlin was the second president of the ASPO (1986-1987). Dr Catlin gave a wonderful lecture on the historical changes in the treatment of otitis media. The introduction of antibiotic therapy made a tremendous impact on the incidence and mortality of intracranial complications from otitis media. The application of dental drills and operating microscopes to mastoidectomy procedures dramatically improved the drainage of infection and decreased the complication rate associated with chisel and curette techniques. The introduction of tympanostomy tubes in the 1950s offered a new form of treatment for this ubiquitous disease.

Dr Catlin stressed that today, unfortunately, socioeconomic factors play a great role in the overall incidence and treatment of otitis media. We as a