Editing Middle ear (section)

==Infections==
Recent findings indicate that the middle ear mucosa could be subjected to [[human papillomavirus]] infection.<ref name="Malagutti et al" >{{cite journal |vauthors=Malagutti N, Rotondo JC, Cerritelli L, Melchiorri C, De Mattei M, Selvatici R, Oton-Gonzalez L, Stomeo F, Mazzoli M, Borin M, Mores B, Ciorba A, Tognon M, Pelucchi S, Martini F |title=High Human Papillomavirus DNA loads in Inflammatory Middle Ear Diseases. |journal=Pathogens |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=224 |date=2020 |pmid=32197385 |doi=10.3390/pathogens9030224 |pmc=7157545 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Indeed, DNAs belonging to oncogenic HPVs, i.e., HPV16 and HPV18, have been detected in normal middle ear specimens, thereby indicating that the normal middle ear mucosa could potentially be a target tissue for HPV infection.<ref name="Malagutti et al" />