A Clinicopathological Study on Chronic Otitis Media in Children at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic otitis media (COM) is the commonest disorder in Otorhinolaryngology practice, characterized by chronic inflammation of the middle ear cleft and mastoid cavity which presents with recurrent ear discharge and deafness. It results in considerable morbidity and may even cause extra-cranial and intracranial complications. Infections of the middle ear and complications caused by COM are still major public health problems in developing countries like Bangladesh. It is one of the main causes of preventable hearing loss when treated appropriately. It is important to review the changing trends in the natural history of the disease, and associated clinicopathological findings to understand the pathogenesis & initiate definitive treatment. Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to the clinicopathological outcome of chronic otitis media in children at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This is an observational prospective study, a total of 80 patients were included and analyzed in this study. The study was done on patients attending the Tairunnessa Memorial Medical College Hospital, Tongi, Gazipur, Bangladesh from January 2020 to July 2021. Result: A total of 80 patients were included in the study, the result is described in two groups. In the safe (mucosal) type, the majority of the patients presented with a profuse, non-smelly mucopurulent discharge followed by hearing loss. The perforations were 63% in the attic while 37% had marginal perforations. The hearing loss was mainly conductive in nature but moderate in degree. There were also associated extracranial complications in this group. In both groups, most patients were female and the majority belongs to the rural population. Conclusion: Chronic otitis media in the pediatric age group is more prevalent in rural populations with otorrhoea being the commonest presenting complaint. Conductive hearing loss of mild to moderate degrees is almost always associated with both mucosal and squamosal .........