LAUSR

* Abbreviation: CT — : computed tomography American Indian children suffer from chronic otitis media at a rate 3 times greater than the general population.1 The reason that this population has been so vulnerable to middle ear infections, and for how long they have been vulnerable, is unknown.2 Chronic ear infections can lead to permanent hearing loss3,4 and contribute to lifelong problems communicating with others. Repeated middle ear infections, which typically begin during early childhood, often lead to radiographic findings such as decreased mastoid air cell pneumatization5 that persist throughout life and are best observed by computed tomography (CT) scanning. The lead author (J.W.O.) practiced for a time in the remote high desert of the Navajo Reservation in Shiprock, New Mexico, where he was the sole otolaryngologist for over 80 000 American Indians.6 He saw firsthand how frequently these people suffered in school and at work from hearing loss caused by chronic ear infections and wondered if American Indians who lived in this area centuries ago also struggled with this burden. To investigate this question, we used CT scanning on a set of ancient American Indian skulls to see if there were findings indicative of chronic middle ear disease. Study specimens are from 2 archaeological sites located on the 12 000-acre B-Square Ranch in Farmington, New Mexico, which is owned by Tommy Bolack. These ancestral Puebloan habitation sites (ad 850–1300) were excavated by … Address correspondence to James W. Ochi, MD, Division of Otolaryngology, Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, 10243 Genetic Center Dr, San Diego, CA 92121. E-mail: james.ochi{at}sharp.com