Otitis media with effusion in patients with cleft palate and congenital velopharyngeal insufficiency

Abstract

The incidences of otitis media with effusion (OME), otoscopic findings of the ear drum, hearing acuity and tympanometric findings were evaluated in 56 cases of cleft palate (CP), 33 cases of submucous cleft palate (SMCP) and 25 cases of congenital velopharyngeal insufficiency without cleft (CVPI). In all the cases, the incidences of OME, the pathological findings in otoscopy and the hearing test were far poorer in the group 8 years old and up than in the younger group. In the younger age group, the incidence of OME was 69% among the CP group, 62% in the SMCP group and showed significantly less incidence in the CVPI group (28%). The incidence of pathological findings in the ear drum was significantly less in the CVPI group than in either the CP group or the SMCP group. Hearing impairment was more frequent in the CP group than in both the SMPC and CVPI groups, while fewer incidences of abnormal tympanogram were found in the CVPI group than in the other two groups. Nearly 14% of the younger CP group developed pathological findings after surgery for velopharyngeal improvement. Most cases were found after push back operations, but rare after pharyngeal flap operations.