Audiologic Profile of Chronic Otitis Media with Effusion in Children

Background: Otitis media with effusion (OME), the most common ear disease in pediatrics, can lead to hearing loss (HL) and might have a significant impact on a child’s auditory and speech development. Objectives: This study was conducted to indicate the audiologic profile of children with chronic OME who were scheduled for tympanostomy tube placement. Methods: Otoscopy, pure-tone audiometry, and tympanometry assessments were carried out in 663 children (420 males and 243 females) who had a chronic OME diagnosis and were scheduled for ear surgery. They were selected consecutively at Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran. The paired sample t-test was conducted to compare mean hearing thresholds before and after ear surgery. Results: The most frequent age groups affected by OME were 12 - 36 months (33.48%) and 36-72 months (31.67%). The majority of children (60.03%) showed retracted tympanic membrane (TM), and the most common color of the TM was yellowish-brown, observed in 74.20% of cases. Before surgery, the majority of patients demonstrated mild conductive hearing loss (61.08%) and a Type B tympanogram (73.75%). The myringotomy site of 61.53% of children was anterior-inferior. Four hundred-eight children indicated serous secretion. The mean pure-tone average before surgery was significantly reduced after surgery (45.23 ± 23.25 vs. 27.83 ± 15.86 dB HL, P = 0.001). This improvement was about 18 and 17 dB in the right and left ears 2 months after surgery, respectively. The postoperative findings also indicated that in 487 children (73.45%), hearing thresholds returned to normal limits. Conclusions: It is essential to address chronic OME promptly to prevent potential long-term impacts on a child’s hearing, speech, and language. Treatment options, such as watchful waiting or surgical intervention, depending on the severity and duration of the condition, are effective procedures in this group of patients.