A clinical study to determine the effects of adenoidectomy in cases of secretory otitis media in school going children

Introduction: Secretory Otitis media (SOM) is the leading cause of hearing loss in children. Despitenumerous studies on the prevention and treatment of SOM during the past decades, itsmanagement remains challenging and controversial. A study was conducted to find the effect ofadenoidectomy in cases of SOM with hypertrophied adenoids and to determine the effect ofadenoidectomy on hearing as assessed by the pure tone and impedance audiometry. Material andMethods: Children aged 5 – 12 years, diagnosed as SOM with adenoid hypertrophy were included.The study was conducted from April 2019 to May 2020, in the department of ENT, GSL MedicalCollege. A detailed history and clinical examination were done. Investigations such as pure toneaudiogram, impedance audiometry, X-ray nasopharynx, and diagnostic nasal endoscopy were carriedout to confirm the diagnosis. Results: Out of the 50 participants, a maximum (60%) belonged tothe 5 – 7 years age group, the male-female ratio was 1.2. Hard of hearing was a common symptomin 66%, tonsillitis, and sinusitis in 36% and 18% respectively. On pure tone audiometry, the averagehearing loss was 24.95dB. Conclusion: Adenoidectomy in children having hypertrophied adenoidswith SOM, not only relieves Eustachian tube obstruction but also removes the source of infection.This leads to clearance of middle ear effusion and improvement in hearing postoperatively.