Late Effects on Ear Disease in Otitis-prone Children: A Long-term Follow-up Study

Abstract

A group of 88 otitis-prone children, 66% boys and 34% girls, born in 1978-81 with more than 11 episodes of acute otitis media, were examined in 1984-85. Seventy-four of the children (with the same distribution of sex) were reexamined in 1990 92. Their medical history of ear, nose and throat diseases was studied and an examination, including otomicroscopy, tympanometry and audiometry, was performed. Fifty-one (69%) continued to have episodes of acute otitis media during the follow-up period and 34 (46%) continued to have episodes of secretory otitis media. Surgery had been performed during this period in 25 (34%) and most common was the need for ventilation tubes. The condition of the tympanic membranes showed improvement for many children. In 1984-85, 31 (35%) of the children had normal tympanic membranes and in 1990-92, 44 (60%). Scar/tympanosclerosis was more common at the follow-up examination: 11 (13%) vs. 20 (27%). In 1984-85 one child was found to have a central perforation and in 1990-92, 5 children were found to have adhesive otitis, chronic secretory otitis or central perforation. No cases of cholesteatomas were found in 1984-85 or in 1990-92. Audiometry was found to be a poor indicator of ear-drum pathology. The results support the opinion that otitis-prone children should be treated and continuously followed by an ear, nose and throat specialist until a stable normalization of the middle-ear is observed.

Key Words:

• otitis-prone child
• acute and chronic otitis media
• seyuelae