Clinical outcomes of otitis media with effusion following palatoplasty in patients with incomplete cleft palate

Abstract

Background: Diagnosis and treatment strategies for CP with OME and the timing of ear tube insertion remain controversial.

Objectives: To analyze the clinical outcomes of otitis media with effusion in children with incomplete cleft palate after palatoplasty prospectively.

Methods: A total of 30 children (10 months–2 years old) with incomplete CP were enrolled in this study and received at least 6 months of follow-up evaluations after palatoplasty.

Results: The overall improvement rate of OME was as high as 26% in this group. Average air conduction hearing threshold was significantly better than that before surgery in the 8 patients with improved OME (p < .05). Among the 8 children with improved OME, 7 (87.5%) were found to have middle ear effusion that improved within 6 months after CP repair. There was no significant difference in the improvement rate between the severe degree II group and the mild group.

Conclusion: A 6-month follow-up period is recommended. The severity of incomplete CP is not fully related to the function of the eustachian tube.

Significance: The overall improvement rate was as high as 26%, and effusion in the tympanic cavity subsided in 7 out of 8 cases within 6 months after the CP repair.

Chinese abstract

背景：带渗出性中耳炎（OME）的腭裂（CP）的诊断和治疗方法以及何时插入耳管仍有争议。

目的：前瞻性分析腭裂术后不完全性腭裂的渗出性中耳炎患儿的临床效果。

方法：对30例不完全性CP儿童（10个月至2岁）在腭部成形术后进行随访6个月以上。

结果：本组OME整体改善率高达26%。8例OME改善的患者的平均空气传导听阈明显好于术前（P<0.05）。在8例OME改善儿童中, 7例（87.5%）在CP修复后6个月内发生中耳积液改善。重度II组与轻度组改善率无显著性差异。

结论：随访期建议为6个月。不完全性CP的严重程度与咽鼓管功能并非完全有关。

意义：整体改善率高达26%。CP修复后6个月内, 8例中有7例鼓室积液消退。

Keywords:

• Otitis media with effusion
• cleft palate
• palatoplasty

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was financially supported by the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau Youth Project [20164Y0110].