Prevalence of Middle Ear Disease in Cleft Palate Patients Using Tympanometry

ABSTRACT

There is no dispute on that the ear evaluation should be done continuously for cleft palate patients. But, there is a controversy about interrelation between otitis media and clinical factors. Therefore, we have analyzed the relationship between the prevalence of otitis media and several prospective clinical factors. In this study, 96 cleft palate patients(191 hearing ears with one atresia) were examined to evaluate middle ear function by tympanometry. In all cases, middle ear evaluation was performed before subsequent palatoplasty and then, the middle ear evaluation was performed again in 145 ears, at an average of 5.7 months after the procedure. The prevalence before palatoplasty in cleft palate patients shows that otitis media with effusion is present in 60 percent, and otopathologic feature tends to decrease with age. The prevalence of otitis media in submucous cleft palate was lower than that in incomplete or complete cleft palate patients, and the types of cleft palate seems statistically not related to any incidence of otitis media. There was statistical reduction in the prevalence of otitis media after palatoplasty. Our research indicates that the prevalence of otitis media in cleft palate patients was reduced by increased age and palatoplasty. Otological check up should be done continuously for the cleft palate patients.