Upper airway obstructions and chronic otitis media: A clinical study

Abstract

PurposeTo investigate if pathologies causing upper airway obstructions are correlated with chronic otitis media. Materials and methodsOne hundred fourteen patients with chronic otitis media and 114 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Nasal septal deviation, Friedman and Mallampati scores were assessed for upper airway obstructions. Chronic suppurative otitis media was classified into tubotypmanic (n=80) and atticoantral (n=34) subtypes. Number of patients with septal deviation with a convexity to the same side as the affected ear in each CSOM subgroup was compared with chi-square test. The mean Mallampati and Friedman scores in tubotympanic disease group, atticoantral disease group and healthy controls were compared using Kruskal–Wallis test. ResultsSeptal deviation occurred more frequently on the same side of ear pathology in patients with tubotympanic chronic suppurative otitis media (p=0.0005). Such a difference was not observed between the controls and patients with atticoantral chronic suppurative otitis media (p=0.718). No significant difference was noted between patients and controls in terms of Mallampati and Friedman scores (p=0.602 and p=0.836, respectively). Subtypes of chronic suppurative otitis media were not different from each other in terms of Mallampati and Friedman scores either (p=0.718 and p=0.708). ConclusionOur results indicate that septal deviations may commonly occur on the same side with chronic otitis media. Therefore, septal deviations must be carefully investigated during the preoperative assessment of patients with CSOM. Elucidation of any possible causal relationship calls for further trials in larger series.