Reduced Tympanic Membrane Mobility in Pediatrics — Case | General Pediatrics | SMLE Q#12137

SMLE Question #12137

Pediatrics General Pediatrics

Objective: OBJ-377

Last updated: February 2026
A 4-month-old girl is brought for evaluation after an abnormal finding on routine ear examination. She is afebrile and feeding well. Parents report no irritability, ear pulling, otorrhea, rhinorrhea, or recent upper respiratory symptoms. There is no history of prior ear infections. Pneumatic otoscopy shows a unilateral, nonpurulent middle-ear effusion with reduced tympanic membrane mobility, without bulging or marked erythema. What is the most appropriate next step in management?

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