Conservative management versus ventilation tube insertion in children with otitis media with effusion accompanying cleft palate

ABSTRACT

Background: otitis media with effusion [OME] is a collection of non-purulent fluid in the middle ear space; it is almost universal in children with cleft palate. Cleft palate [CP] is among the most common congenital malformations, with an overall incidence of around 1 in 700 individuals. Surgical closure of the cleft palate may lead to improvement in the audiological status of the patients, but whether early surgical correction can improve the middle ear status in CP children remains open for debate