Treatment and Outcome of Otitis Media with Effusion in Cleft Palate Patients

Abstract

Objectives: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is established to be universally present in children with cleft palate. It is found to be most prevalent during the age of 4 to 6 years. This problem may continue to recur in this group of patients, seeming to settle during adolescence. The aim of this retrospective study was to examine OME in cleft palate pediatric patients, with or without cleft lip, and determine the average number of ventilation tube insertions required for this group of patients from birth to 16 years of age. Methods: This retrospective study reviewed 258 pediatric patients who have undergone cleft palate repair and myringotomy with ventilation tube insertions in KKWCH during the period from 1990 to 2012. Information to be collated included: type of cleft, when repair of the cleft was performed, when ventilation tubes were inserted, and how many ventilation tube insertion procedures were performed. Results: The period of follow-up ranged from 2 to 13 years. The ratio of boys to girls was 1.3 to 1. It was found that a large percentage of patients between 2 years to 13 years of age had 3 or less sets of ventilation tube insertions. The youngest to have received tube insertion was 7 weeks old. The oldest was 14 years old. Conclusions: OME in cleft palate patients may be a recurrent problem. Knowing the likely progression of the disease is useful when counseling the parents involved.