Surgery for chronic otitis media in the elderly.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of surgery for chronic otitis media in elderly patients, compared to younger adults and children. METHODS: Patients with chronic otitis media with and without cholesteatoma formation were assessed. Patients aged 65 years and older were included and compared to adults aged 35-55 and to children. Effectiveness was evaluated by comparing postoperative dry and safe ears in ages groups, safety was assessed by comparing postoperative adverse events. RESULTS: Postoperative success and adverse events did not differ between age groups. Children had more recurrent cholesteatoma than adults. No difference in recurrent cholesteatoma between adults was observed. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment for chronic otitis media with and without cholesteatoma in elderly patients is safe and effective. Age has no influence on postoperative adverse events and treatment outcomes in chronic otitis media. Cholesteatoma recurrence was not different between adult age groups.

Toll-Like Receptors: Expression and Roles in Otitis Media.

Otitis media is mainly caused by upper respiratory tract infection and eustachian tube dysfunction. If external upper respiratory tract infection is not detected early in the middle ear, or an appropriate immune response does not occur, otitis media can become a chronic state or complications may occur. Therefore, given the important role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the early response to external antigens, we surveyed the role of TLRs in otitis media. To summarize the role of TLR in otitis media, we reviewed articles on the expression of TLRs in acute otitis media (AOM), otitis media with effusion (OME), chronic otitis media (COM) with cholesteatoma, and COM without cholesteatoma. Many studies showed that TLRs 1-10 are expressed in AOM, OME, COM with cholesteatoma, and COM without cholesteatoma. TLR expression in the normal middle ear mucosa is absent or weak, but is increased in inflammatory fluid of AOM, effusion of OME, and granulation tissue and cholesteatoma of COM. In addition, TLRs show increased or decreased expression depending on the presence or absence of bacteria, recurrence of disease, tissue type, and repeated surgery. In conclusion, expression of TLRs is associated with otitis media. Inappropriate TLR expression, or delayed or absent induction, are associated with the occurrence, recurrence, chronicization, and complications of otitis media. Therefore, TLRs are very important in otitis media and closely related to its etiology.

Is pediatric cholesteatoma more aggressive in children than in adults? A comparative study using the EAONO/JOS classification.

INTRODUCTION: chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma (COMC) is a serious condition that may cause severe complications. According to the literature, in pediatric patients this entity can have a more aggressive behavior, leading to higher rates of morbidity. Consensus regarding the definition of aggressive and extensive cholesteatoma was lacking until recently. European Academy of Otology and Neurotology/Japan Otologic Society (EAONO/JOS) proposed a classification and staging system which was highly accepted by a group of otology experts. OBJECTIVE: to compare cholesteatoma characteristics between pediatric and adult patients using the EAONO/JOS stating system. MATERIAL AND METHODS: a retrospective analysis of the patients who underwent surgery for cholesteatoma treatment in a tertiary hospital was performed using EAONO/JOS classification. Congenital cholesteatoma, revision surgery, and follow-up losses were excluded. The patients were further divided into two cohorts: a pediatric group (<16 years old) and an adult group (>16 years old). The results were compared between them. RESULTS: 134 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria, 27 were pediatric, and 107 adult patients. We found a significant difference in supratubal recess, with higher rates of extension to this location in the pediatric group. Also in the pediatric cohort, COMC was accompanied by malleus erosion in a higher frequency, with a significant difference from adults; it also presented in higher stages of the disease according to EAONO/JOS classification. We found no differences in hearing gain post-operatively. Moreover, we found that age younger than 16 years was an independent risk factor for relapse with time. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: according to our data, cholesteatoma in pediatric age has a more aggressive and extensive nature than in adults, and age younger than 16-years-old is an independent risk factor for relapse.

Clinical efficacy of open tympanoplasty combined radical mastoidectomy in treatment of chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma / 中国现代医生

Objective To explore clinical efficacy of open tympanoplasty combined radical mastoidectomy in treatment of chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma. Methods Retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 68 cases of cholesteatoma otitis media patients in our hospital from 2011 June to 2012 December ,and they were divided into con-trol group and observation group,each group 34 cases, the control group received simple mastoidectomy, the observa-tion group received the open-ended tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy treatment,follow-up of 1.5 years,the operation efficiency and improve the postoperative hearing, complications were compared. Results The observation group, the clinical total effective rate (94.12%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (73.53%), with statistical significance (P<0.05);The control group tympanic membrane healing rate of live,dry ear rate (73.53%, 76.47%) was signif-icantly lower than the observation group (91.18%,94.12%),the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion The radical mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty for cholesteatoma otitis media with the exact effect ,can effectively improve the patient's hearing,it is worthy of clinical application.

Labyrinthine Fistula Reviewed During Chronic Ear Surgery / 听力学及言语疾病杂志

Fifty-one cases of labyrinthine fistula had been reviewed in 1990-1997 during chronic ear surgery. All cases had a lateral semicircular canal fistula and one case had an additional posterior semicircula canal fistula. There was no relationship between the size of labyrinthine fistula and preoperative bone conduction. 34 cases had chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma,the matrix of the cholesteatoma was completely removed in all patients except one case. Preoperative bone conducton hearing was preserved after removal of cholesteatoma matrix in all cases except the one case.