Publication:

A study on chronic otitis media in tertiary care center

Background Chronic otitis media (COM) is a serious healthcare concern worldwide, because of the distress and economic burden to the patient and their family. Temporal bone pneumatization plays an important role in etiology, behaviour, course and outcome of COM. Pneumatisation gets poorer with growing chronicity of the disease.

Methods A retrospective study was conducted between March 2015-March 2017 on female patients visiting with COM, at ENT department Kasturba Gandhi Hospital, Madras Medical College. The records were analysed of the age, duration of symptoms, associated complaints, pure tone audiogram, computerised tomography of temporal bone, mastoid surgery done according to the disease process affecting the ear.

Results 35 female COM patients were analysed, most common age group is between 31-40 years in 14 patients. There hearing loss was mild category in 27. There were 27 cases of mucosal type of chronic otitis media and 8 cases of squamous type. The CT scan with sclerosis of mastoid was the common finding.

Conclusions In exclusive study on female patients with COM, the mucosal type of COM is common with mild hearing loss and sclerosed mastoid indicating the chronicity.