A Short-Term and Long-Term Follow-up Study on Change of Hearing and Tympanogram after Tympanoplasty Type 1 / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate improvement in hearing and changes in the tympanogram according to the types of mastoid pneumatization and the mucosal condition of the Eustachian tube orifice after performing tympanoplasty type 1. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among the patients with chronic otitis media who had received tympanoplasty type 1 at Asan Medical Center from June 1990 to March 1997, sixty five patients were evaluated with pure tone audiometry and tympanometry for a short-term (1 year) follow-up period. RESULTS: Greater improvement in hearing was shown in patients with tympanogram type A as compared to the patients with type B and C in both short-term and long-term follow-ups. Patients who showed normal mastoid pneumatization were found to have type A tympanogram more frequently than patients who showed abnormal mastoid pneumatization. However, the degree of postoperative hearing improvement did not depend on the types of mastoid pneumatization. Mucosal condition of the Eustachian tube orifice had some influence on the outcome of postoperative tympanogram and hearing. Greater improvement in the hearing levels were observed more frequently in the normal mucosa. CONCLUSION: Postoperative improvement in hearing was closely related to the postoperative change in the tympanogram. Postoperative hearing results and tympanograms were mainly influenced by the mucosal condition of the Eustachian tube orifice. Relatively greater improvement in hearing was observed in the long-term follow-up compared to the short-term follow-up. However, in order to reach any conclusion on this matter, a longer follow-up period and closer observation would be required.

Adult-onset Otitis Media with Effusion / 대한이비인후과학회지

Otitis media with effusion(OME) is a very common disease of young children, but adult-on-set otitis media with effusion is rarely considered. A few of factors contribute to pathogenesis of otitis media with effusion, which are poor tubal dysfunction, upper respiratory viral infection, bacterial adherence, and immune status of the host. Otologic complaints are dominant in many of adult-onset OME patients. Sinusitis is the most common causal disease of adult-onset OME in our study. In our study, we conclude that adult-onset OME is a relatively common disease in contrast to the current thought and that we must carefully evaluate upper airway, especially sinuses and nasopharynx, and systemic aspects in adult-onset OME.