A clinico-pathological study on chronic otitis media in children

Abstract

<p><strong>Background: </strong>Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is the commonest cause of persistent mild to moderate hearing impairment in children and young adults in developing countries and may have prevalence between 2 and 17% amongst children. The aim of this study was to compare clinico-pathological characteristics of safe (mucosal) and unsafe (squamous) diseases in children.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An observational prospective study was done at ENT department of Jawaharlal Nehru medical college, AMU, Aligarh from over a period of one and half years. A total of 60 children evaluated as per inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 in each group.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Majority of them belonged to rural background with ear discharge being the predominant complaint in all of them. Children with unsafe disease had more incidences of extracranial complications.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Keeping in view the detrimental effects of hearing loss on social and educational development of children as the propensity of chronic otitis media to cause life threatening complications, urgent attention to this disease and awareness in public is warranted.</p>