Non-cholesteatomatous Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media Research Articles

Study of pathology of ossicles in non-cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media, its repair and outcome

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">If the ears have perforation of long standing durations, even without cholesteatomas, they remain infected. Three times as many operations were performed in the United States in 1978 for this disease as were performed for cholesteatoma. The objective of the study was to study of pathology of ossicles in non-cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media, its repair and outcome. </span></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">This is a clinical study of patients presented to outpatient, department of Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences, Bellary during the period of November 2004 to November 2005 with non-cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media. This study is aimed to study the various ossicular abnormalities encountered in non-cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media and their reconstruction techniques. </span></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">12 ears (40%) had central and 18 ears (60%) had subtotal perforation. The average hearing loss in patients with isolated erosion of lenticular process of incus was 50.72±6.95 dB. In our study, autologous incus was used for ossicular reconstruction in 14 (46.67%) patients and homologous septal cartilage in 10 (33.33%) cases. Twenty-nine of the 30 cases underwent myringostapediopexy (type IIIb tympanoplasty) with the ossicular graft as short columella between the tympanic membrane graft and the stapes superstructure. </span></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">Excellent results were noted only with the autologous incus graft. 28.57% of the total patients with autologous incus graft showed excellent post-operative results. Good results were found for autologous incus, homologous septal cartilage and teflon PORP, with percentage of 28.57, 50 and 25% respectively.</span></p>

High-frequency conductive hearing loss as a diagnostic test for incomplete ossicular discontinuity in non-cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media.

Chronic suppurative otitis media, with or without cholesteatoma, may lead to erosion of the ossicles and discontinuity of the ossicular chain. In incomplete ossicular discontinuity (IOD), partial erosion of the ossicles occurs, but some sound transmission is noted throughout the ossicular chain. High-frequency conductive hearing loss (HfCHL) has been considered a hallmark of incomplete ossicular discontinuity. This study aims to evaluate the use of HfCHL as a preoperative predictor of IOD in patients with non-cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media. The HfCHL test was defined as the preoperative air-bone gap (ABG) at 4 kHz minus the average of the ABG at 0.25 and 0.5 kHz. The test was applied in 328 patients before surgery and compared to intraoperative findings as the gold standard. At surgery, 201 (61.3%) patients had an intact ossicular chain, 44 (13.4%) had a complete ossicular discontinuity, and 83 (25.3%) exhibited an IOD. The best cutoff level was calculated as 10 dB. The HfCHL test to diagnose IOD had a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 92% with a post-test probability of 78% and a likelihood ratio of 10.2. We concluded that the HfCHL test is highly effective in predicting IOD in patients with non-cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media and that it should be used routinely as a screening test prior to surgery.

Staining in Tympanoplasty: Is Methylene Blue Rational?

ABSTRACT Objective Is there any advantages of using methylene blue in myringoplasty? To compare the results of methylene blue stained temporalis fascia graft with unstained temporalis fascia graft in underlay myringoplasty. Materials and methods In this prospective study, 120 patients of either sex in age group of 15 to 50 years with non-cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) were recruited. Patients were initially managed medically to make the ear dry and after that they were operated upon. Sixty patients underwent underlay myringoplasty using methylene blue stained temporalis fascia graft and 60 patients underwent underlay myringoplasty using unstained temporalis fascia graft. Follow-up period was at least 6 months. Results Graft uptake and hearing improvement was comparable in both groups. Although there was 10% higher graft uptake using methylene blue stained temporalis fascia (95%) as compared to unstained temporalis fascia graft (85%), however the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.5). But there was statistically significant difference in gain in hearing threshold (gain in air-bone gap) in the myringoplasty using methylene blue stained temporalis fascia graft (18 dB ± 7.156) as compared to myringoplasty using unstained temporalis fascia graft (13.7 dB ± 5.70814) (p = 0.04). Conclusion Methylene blue use in myringoplasty allows improved identification of the graft, can be very helpful for trainee residents and reduce the time of a graft placement. Also, methylene blue as an antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, prevents degradation and lysis of fascia graft, improves the overall success rate of graft uptake with no adverse effects. How to cite this article Kathuria B, Dhingra H, Gulia J, Kakkar V, Yadav SPS, Hernot S, Bishnoi S. Staining in Tympanoplasty: Is Methylene Blue Rational? Int J Otorhinolaryngol Clin 2015;7(3):125-131.

To evaluate and compare the results of over-underlay graft technique with conventional underlay myringoplasty

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of over-underlay graft technique of myringoplasty and compare the results of over-underlay graft technique with conventional underlay myringoplasty. Methods: In this prospective study, 40 patients of either sex in the age group of 15–50 years with noncholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media were recruited. The patients were initially managed medically to make the ear dry and after that they were operated upon. Twenty patients underwent conventional underlay myringoplasty and 20 patients underwent over-underlay myringoplasty. The follow-up period was 3 months. Results: Graft uptake and hearing improvement was comparable in both groups. Although the graft uptake was 5% lower in the group which underwent conventional underlay myringoplasty (90%) as compared to over-underlay myringoplasty (95%), however, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.5). However, there was statistically significant difference in gain in hearing threshold (gain in A-B gap) in the conventional underlay myringoplasty (14.5 dB ± 7.236) as compared to over-underlay myringoplasty (18.75 dB ± 5.349) (P = 0.04). Conclusion: The over-underlay technique, which is a hybrid of both overlay and underlay technique, allows the advantages of both methods. It improves the graft uptake rate and hearing in subtotal and large perforations.

Sklerotik mastoid kemiğe sahip kronik otitis medialı hastalarda tip 1 timpanoplasti: Anatomik ve fonksiyonel sonuçlar

Objective: To evaluate success of tympanoplasty type 1 in the treatment of patients with sclerotic mastoid bone. Methods: A retrospective study where 92 patients with non-cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media were recruited during the period of 2010 to 2012. Patients were managed medically and after dryness of their perforations they were operated upon. Ninety-two patients underwent type 1 tympanoplasty alone without cortical mastoidectomy. Underlay technique with chondroperichondrial graft was performed for all patients. Results: Mean air-bone gap values were estimated and compared. In pre- and postoperative audiograms, air-bone gap values at 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz frequencies were determined. Pre- and postoperative mean air-bone gap values of the patients were 23.47±4.95 and 11.58±4.77 dB, respectively. Conclusion: Our study emphasizes the fact that overall satisfactory hearing outcome with adequate air-bone closure can be achieved irrespective of cortical mastoidectomy in the surgical treatment of noncomplicated chronic ear diseases.

Determinants of non-healing ear discharge in chronic suppurative otitis media in a developing country.

The major burden of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is the embarrassing ear discharge which may last for few months to many years or even a lifetime with increasing risks of complications. We conducted this study to determine the risk factors for protracted non-healing ear discharge among CSOM patients. We carried out a retrospective analysis of non-cholesteatomatous CSOM patients treated in a tertiary hospital in a developing country. Comparison was made between 128 patients with ear discharge persisting beyond 24 months and 58 patients whose otorrhoea resolved within 6 months in terms of socio-demographic and other potential risk factors. Major risk factors identified by logistic regression analysis were rural residence, multidrug-resistant bacteria, and bilateral CSOM (P = <0.001, 0.001, and 0.008, respectively). Others were onset of ear discharge before the age of 10 years, diabetes mellitus, persistent rhinorrhoea, home >10 miles away from hospital, and >7 persons in a family (P = 0.012, 0.041, 0.013, 0.010, and 0.043, respectively). Age, sex, nasal allergy, and self-medication were not significant risk factors for non-healing ear discharge. Protracted non-healing ear discharge still remains a prominent feature of CSOM in our experience. Rural residence, multidrug resistance, bilateral CSOM, and long distance to health facilities are prime risk factors. Measures to address these risk factors to bring about a decline in the number of non-healing ear discharge among CSOM patients, especially in our rural communities, are urgently needed.

Comparative Evaluation between Tympanoplasty Alone &amp; Tympanoplasty Combined With Cortical Mastoidectomy in NonCholesteatomatous Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media in Patients with Sclerotic Bone

Objectives: To compare the results of tympanoplasty alone and tympanoplasty with cortical mastoidectomy in chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) patients with sclerotic bone in terms of graft uptake, perforation closure, improvement in hearing and disease eradication. Study Design: Retrospective study of patients at tertiary referral hospital. Method: 50 cases of non-cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media were selected. Tympanoplasty alone was done in 25 cases and tympanoplasty combined with cortical mastoidectomy was done in another 25 cases. Patients were reviewed postoperatively at 4, 8 and 12 weeks to inspect the operated ear for graft uptake or any complication. Pure tone audiometry(PTA) was done at 2 nd and 4 th month to evaluate the hearing improvement. Results: In our study, hearing gain in decibel ( dB ) in tympanoplasty group was 7.64 and in tympanoplasty combined with cortical mastoidectomy was 8.84. Graft uptake was 76% in tympanoplasty group and 88% in tympanoplasty combined with cortical mastoidectomy. Recurrence of discharge was seen in 2 cases of tympanoplasty. Though tympanoplasty combined with cortical mastoidectomy is better in hearing improvement, graft uptake and clinical improvement but the difference in 2 groups is statistically insignificant. Conclusion: Hearing improvement, graft uptake and clinical improvement were statistically incomparable in 2 groups. Combining cortical mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty will not give additional benefits in terms of hearing gain, disease clearance and graft uptake.

Myringoplasty with and without Cortical Mastoidectomy in Treatment of Non-cholesteatomatous Chronic Otitis Media: A Comparative Study.

OBJECTIVETo compare the outcome and success of repair of uncomplicated tympanic membrane perforations with myringoplasty alone and when combined with mastoidectomy.METHODSA prospective study where 40 patients with non-cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) were recruited during the period of June 2013 to December 2013 from the outpatient clinic of Otorhinolaryngology department, Faculty of medicine, Cairo University. Patients were managed medically and after dryness of their perforations they were operated upon. Twenty patients underwent simple myringoplasty alone and 20 patients underwent myringoplasty with cortical mastoidectomy. Underlay technique with temporalis fascia was done for all patients. Follow-up period was at least 3 months.RESULTSHearing improvement was comparable in both groups. There was no significant difference in graft uptake between the myringoplasty alone group (70%) and cortical mastoidectomy group (80%) (P = 0.7). There was no significant difference in ear dryness between the myringoplasty alone group (75%) and cortical mastoidectomy group (90%) (P = 0.4).CONCLUSIONMastoidectomy performed in non-cholesteatomatous CSOM in this study gives no statistically significant benefit over simple myringoplasty as regards graft success rate and dryness of the middle ear with comparable hearing outcome.

Hearing gain in different types of tympanoplasties

Aims: The aim of the present study was to find out the hearing improvement in different types of tympanoplasties. Settings and Design: Prospective, hospital-based. Subjects and Methods : A total of 50 patients were included who were 12 years old and above, of both sexes with conductive hearing loss due chronic otitis media with or without perforation. Results: The ratio of males (28) was more as compared with females (22). Maximum number of patients belonged to the age group of 10-20 years (34%), followed by 20-30 years (30%), whereas least number of cases was found in the age group of > 50 years. Hearing loss and otorrhea were present in majority of the cases (100% and 72%, respectively). A total of 18 of the cases had cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media, while 32 ears were observed to be noncholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media. The average preoperative air conduction (AC) in the present study was found to be 46.6 dB ranging from 20 dB to 112.5 dB, while the average postoperative AC was found to be 39 dB with an average gain of 7.6 dB. The four frequency average preoperative and postoperative air-bone gap (ABG) were found to be 26.48 dB and 20.17 dB respectively, with the average gain of 6.3 dB. The average ABG closure within 0-30 dB was seen in 33 (82%) of the cases. Social hearing was achieved in 86% of the cases in type I, 46% in type II, and 40% in type III tympanoplasty. Conclusions: Tympanoplasty as a procedure when indicated without compromising for the disease, can be effectively used to improve hearing in chronic suppurative otitis media, and other types of conductive hearing losses.

Does concomitant mastoidectomy improve outcomes for patients undergoing repair of tympanic membrane perforations?

BACKGROUND Although tympanoplasty with or without mastoidectomy is a common procedure, failures of perforation closure are not a rare occurrence. 1 Optimization of the tympanoplasty procedure would lead to improved patient outcomes and increased patient satisfaction. Controversy currently exists amongst otologists regarding the appropriate treatment of tympanic membrane perforations resulting from chronic suppurative otitis media without cholesteatoma. Proponents for mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty for this patient population contend that surgical opening of the mastoid pneumatic system buffers pressure changes in the middle ear according to Boyle’s Law and allows for the debridement of infected tissue and devitalized bone that may not be otherwise effectively treated. Anecdotal and empirical data supporting this theory are prevalent within the literature. However, several recent studies investigating tympanoplasty with or without mastoidectomy refute the claim that mastoidectomy improves otologic outcomes following perforation repair. 2,3 We review the current body of literature in an effort to elucidate the best practice. LITERATURE REVIEW Several studies have retrospectively reviewed outcomes of tympanoplasty with or without mastoidectomy for the treatment of noncholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) (Table I and Table II. Balyan et al. 2 reviewed 323 patients with CSOM. The patients were separated into three groups: group I (n ¼ 53) consisted of patients with draining CSOM treated with tympanoplasty alone, group II (n ¼ 28) consisted of patients with draining CSOM treated with tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy, and group III (n ¼ 242)

The appropriate medical management of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in chronic suppurative otitis media

Conclusion. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was the most prevalent species (28.1%) in the bacteriological study of 577 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM). Frequent and appropriate aural cleansing and irrigation using diluted acetic acid or other solutions such as Burow's solution can be an effective method for the medical treatment of MRSA in CSOM. Objectives. To investigate the bacteriological results of 577 patients with CSOM and the medical treatment results of 91 non-cholesteatomatous MRSA patients and to consider the most appropriate medical treatment modality for MRSA in patients with CSOM. Patients and methods. This study was conducted retrospectively from January 2005 through July 2008 using the medical records of 577 patients with otorrhoea caused by CSOM. We analyzed the bacteriological results by dividing all patients into cholesteatomatous CSOM and noncholesteatomatous CSOM and investigated the medical treatment results of 91 non-cholesteatomatous MRSA patients. We used three treatment modalities: aural cleansing and irrigation (50 cases), intravenous injection of teicoplanin (22 cases) and intravenous injection of vancomycin (15 cases). Results. Overall, MRSA (28.1%) was the most prevalent species, followed by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) (20.4%), Pseudomonas (18.6%) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) (15.0%). In non-cholesteatomatous MRSA treatment for dry ear, there were no significant differences between the three groups. The results showed that 79.5% of the group treated with aural cleansing and irrigation succeeded in achieving dry ears in 19.0 days. Similarly, 78.9% of another group with intravenous injection of teicoplanin eventually had dry ears, taking 16.0 days. Finally, the number of patients with dry ear in the group treated with intravenous injection of vancomycin was up to 80% of the total in 15.2 days.

Hearing outcomes following myringoplasty for patients from developing countries with chronic otitis media

Objective: The purpose of this study is to compare hearing outcomes following myringoplasty for chronic otitis media for patients from developing counties with those of urban Australian patients. Subjects & Methods: This study is a retrospective review of 110 patients (118 ears) with non-cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media who underwent myringoplasty at The Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital from 2003 to 2007. Patients who had emigrated from a developing country were analysed as one group and Australian born patients were analysed as another. Patients were excluded from the study if their hearing was normal or only mildly impaired in the affected ear pre-operatively. Outcomes are expressed in terms of tympanic membrane closure, improvement in air conduction (AC) pure tone average (PTA) and achievement of AC PTA ≤ 40 dB HL post-operatively. Results: Patients from developing countries demonstrated greater improvements in hearing following myringoplasty, mean gain in AC PTA 16.6 dB, than urban Australian patients, 9.6 dB. This difference was statistically significant (unpaired t-test; t = 2.66, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Patients from developing countries with hearing impairment secondary to chronic otitis media can achieve hearing outcomes following myringoplasty at least comparable to urban Australian patients. This paper was presented at the 2009 Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Annual Scientific Meeting, Gold Coast, QLD.

Infective Causes of Facial Nerve Paralysis

To review the functional recovery in a cohort of patients with facial nerve paralysis (FNP) due to infective cause. Retrospective review based on patients identified from a prospectively maintained database of patients with FNP. The case notes of identified patients were reviewed. Tertiary referral center. The patients were identified from a database of 1074 patients with FNP. One hundred twenty of the 150 patients identified as having FNP due to an infectious disease caused by herpes zoster oticus were excluded from the study. The remaining 30 patients were included in the study. Patients were treated both operatively and nonoperatively. Operative treatment included myringotomy and ventilation tube placement, cortical mastoidectomy, modified radical (canal wall down) mastoidectomy, petrous apicectomy, and lateral temporal bone resection. This study used the House-Brackmann (HB) grade of facial function at 1 year after initial assessment. The patients were identified from a prospectively maintained database of all patients presenting with FNP to a single specialist otolaryngologist (G.R.C.) between June 1988 and April 2005. The database contains information including demographic details, dates of presentation, diagnostic modalities used, diagnosis, interventions, and HB grade. The patients in this series presented between August 4, 1989 and August 26, 2003. Twenty-nine patients with 30 facial nerve paralyses were identified. The causes of FNP were acute otitis media (n = 10); cholesteatoma (n = 10 [acquired, 7; congenital, 3]); mastoid cavity infections (n = 2); malignant otitis externa (n = 2); noncholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM; n = 2); tuberculous mastoiditis (n = 1); suppurative parotitis (n = 1); and chronic granulomatosis (n = 1). The patients with noncholesteatomatous CSOM who presented sooner after the onset of facial nerve symptoms had greater facial nerve recovery when assessed using the HB grade at 1 year. FNP due to infective causes other than herpes zoster oticus is rare. Patients with noncholesteatomatous CSOM and FNP have a better outcome than those with FNP due to cholesteatoma. Patients with FNP due to acute otitis media tend to have a good prognosis without surgical decompression of the facial nerve being required.

Repair of tympanic membrane perforation using a modified cartilage–perichondrium composite ring graft

Ring graft is a modified cartilage-perichondrium composite graft (CPCG) with only a peripheral ring shaped cartilage. In this series, tympanic membrane perforations were repaired using (ring graft) during treatment of 18 cases of non-cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM). This study showed that ring graft has the advantages of both CPCG and perichondrial graft but without their disadvantages. Complete closure of the perforations was achieved in all cases without delay in hearing improvement. It is recommended to use the ring graft whenever needed to repair central tympanic membrane perforations even with difficult anterior or total perforations.

Long-term follow-up evaluation of mastoidectomy in children with non-cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media

In spite of declining prevalence chronic suppurative otitis media without cholesteatoma (CSOM) still poses a significant health problem. Randomized clinical trials comparing medical and surgical intervention are not available. Hence, the treatment of CSOM is almost exclusively based on empirical experience. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the long-term effects of mastoidectomy combined with myringotomy and exploration of the middle ear in children with CSOM. 47 children with CSOM underwent surgery including mastoidectomy. Ear status was investigated peri-operatively and at a long-term follow-up (5-21 years post-operatively). Final success rate, FS (dry ears for several years) and the optimal final success rate, OFS (dry ears for several years without re-operations and without retractions/perforations) were estimated. No serious surgical complications occurred. Post-operatively re-mastoidectomy was performed in 13% and re-myringoplasty/tympanoplasty in 21%. At the long-term follow-up the FS rate was 94% and the OFS rate was 61%. Surgery alone did not entirely cure CSOM which may justify randomized studies comparing conservative treatment and myringoplasty with/without mastoidectomy. Finally, mastoidectomy in these patients must be considered as a last resort when intense conservative treatment fails.

Canal-down mastoidectomy: experience in 81 cases.

To identify the common presentation(s) and the clinical and operative finding(s) in patients with cholesteatomatous and long-term noncholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media and to adapt a surgical management best suited to ensure long-term safety in these Papua New Guinean patients for whom postoperative follow-up is minimal. Retrospective case series. Port Moresby General Hospital, the tertiary referral center for otolaryngologic services. Eighty-one patients in all age groups who received a clinical diagnosis of chronic suppurative otitis media, with or without cholesteatoma, with or without its associated complications. Canal-down (modified radical) mastoidectomy with wide meatoplasty. Adults were more commonly affected than adolescent or pediatric cases, and there was a male preponderance. The median age was 24 years (range, 13 months to 73 years). Otorrhea remained the most common presentation in all age groups. Postauricular abscesses and fistulae were seen frequently. Cholesteatoma and granulation with polypoidal mucosa were frequent operative findings; a high incidence involved both the attic space and the antrum. Five (6%) patients had preoperative facial paralysis; in addition, postoperative facial paralysis developed in three (4%) patients. The incidence of postoperative "wet ear" was high in all age groups. Meningitis was the most common intracranial complication, followed by lateral sinus thrombosis. There were seven (9%) deaths altogether, and all the deaths occurred as a direct result of otogenic intracranial complication. Lack of health consciousness, poor socioeconomic status, and lack of health care delivery system resulted in late presentations and poor postoperative follow-up. Hence, the canal-wall-down technique with wide meatoplasty is recommended to ensure a best possible one-time treatment in Papua New Guinean patients with cholesteatomatous or long-term "dangerous" chronic suppurative otitis media with or without complications.

Antibiotics in chronic suppurative otitis media: a bacteriologic study.

Conservative medical management of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is an important step in achieving a dry ear. Topical antibiotic ear drops and aural toilet form the mainstay of medical management of noncholesteatomatous CSOM. This study analyzes the causal organisms and their sensitivity to various antibiotics. Out of 382 swabs examined, the major organisms isolated were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (27.2%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (23.6%). The sensitivity of P. aeruginosa was 100% to ceftazidime, 98.9% to ciprofloxacin, 96.3% to gentamicin, and 95.4% to polymyxin B, whereas the sensitivity of S. aureus was 98.6% to ciprofloxacin, 97.4% to cloxacillin sodium, 96.5% to cotrimoxazole, and 90.7% to gentamicin. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was almost completely resistant to ampicillin (97.6%) and chloramphenicol (96.6%), whereas S. aureus was almost completely resistant to ampicillin (73.8%) and polymyxin B (98.3%). Among the available topical antibiotic preparations for use in the ear, we found that ciprofloxacin and gentamicin are the best choices.

Mastoidectomy in Noncholesteatomatous Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media: Is it Necessary?

Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) without cholesteatoma, the surgical treatment of which is still controversial, is a common diagnosis in otologic practice. A retrospective analysis of 323 patients who underwent surgery for noncholesteatomatous chronic otitis media in the Gruppo Otologica, Piacenza, Italy, between April 1983 and December 1993 is presented. Cases were separated Into three groups according to different surgical treatment modalities and conditions of the ears at the time of operation. Group I (n = 53) consisted of cases of CSOM treated by tympanoplasty without mastoidectomy (TLWOM). Group II (n = 28) included cases of CSOM treated by tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy (TLWM). Intact canal wall technique was used in these cases. The ears in both these groups were discharging severely at the time of surgery. Group III (n = 242) included patients whose ears were dry at the time of surgery but who had had previous recurrent episodes of suppuration and who were treated by TLWOM. At the last follow‐up, graft success rates for groups I, II, and III were 90.5%, 85.7%, and 89.2%, respectively, and mean residual gaps were 17.2 dB, 20.1 dB, and 19.4 dB, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the three groups either on graft success rates (p &gt; 0.05) or on final functional hearing outcome (p &gt; 0.05). TLWM is the preferable treatment modality for most surgeons in noncholesteatomatous CSOM. Nevertheless, in our experience TLWOM yields comparable results for this group of patients. In addition, we could not find any significant difference in results of graft success and final functional hearing rates between dry and discharging ears (p &gt; 0.05).

Mastoidectomy in noncholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media: Is it necessary?

Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) without cholesteatoma, the surgical treatment of which is still controversial, is a common diagnosis in otologic practice. A retrospective analysis of 323 patients who underwent surgery for noncholesteatomatous chronic otitis media in the Gruppo Otologica, Piacenza, Italy, between April 1983 and December 1993 is presented. Cases were separated into three groups according to different surgical treatment modalities and conditions of the ears at the time of operation. Group I ( n = 53) consisted of cases of CSOM treated by tympanoplasty without mastoidectomy (TLWOM). Group II ( n = 28) included cases of CSOM treated by tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy (TLWM). Intact canal wall technique was used in these cases. The ears in both these groups were discharging severely at the time of surgery. Group III ( n = 242) included patients whose ears were dry at the time of surgery but who had had previous recurrent episodes of suppuration and who were treated by TLWOM. At the last follow-up, graft success rates for groups I, II, and III were 90.5%, 85.7%, and 89.2%, respectively, and mean residual gaps were 17.2 dB, 20.1 dB, and 19.4 dB, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the three groups either on graft success rates ( p > 0.05) or on final functional hearing outcome ( p > 0.05). TLWM is the preferable treatment modality for most surgeons in noncholesteatomatous CSOM. Nevertheless, in our experience TLWOM yields comparable results for this group of patients. In addition, we could not find any significant difference in results of graft success and final functional hearing rates between dry and discharging ears ( p > 0.05). (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1997;117:592-5.)