Ventilation tube in adults with middle-ear effusion

This study was conducted to analyze the data concerning otitis media with effusion (OME) to configure its etiology, symptomatology, and outcome in adults.

A retrospective study of 198 consecutive cases (260 ears) of OME was conducted between July 1988 and June 1996. All of the patients were older than 16 years and were diagnosed for the first time. Tympanograms, initial symptoms, underlying diseases, extrusion of the ventilation tube, and recurrence rate of effusion were analyzed.

Sinusitis was usually seen in patients 16 to 29 and over 60 years old, whereas nasopharyngeal carcinoma was prevalent in patients 30 to 59 years old. Ear stuffiness (75.3%) was the most prevalent initial symptom, followed by hearing impairment (74.2%). One hundred seventy-five ears from 132 patients had been followed up for more than 2 years. In four ears, ventilation tubes were removed by instrument; the ventilation tubes in the remaining 171 ears of 128 patients extruded spontaneously within 20 months (8.6 months on average). Recurrence of effusion within 2 years was noted in 78.8% (78/99 ears) of patients with head and neck tumours and in 27.3% (12/44 ears) of patients with sinusitis.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma and sinusitis were the main etiologies of OME in adults. In addition to treatment of sinusitis, nasopharyngeal check-up is mandatory in adults with OME.