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Otological disorders in Down's Syndrome
S Satwant1, K N Subramaniam, N Prepageran
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur.
The Medical Journal of Malaysia
|November 21, 2002
Summary
Children with Down syndrome experience more ear abnormalities, including impacted wax, retracted eardrums, middle ear effusion, and auditory canal stenosis, compared to healthy children in Malaysia.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatrics
- Genetics
Background:
- Down syndrome is associated with various health complications.
- Otological abnormalities are frequently observed in children with Down syndrome.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of otological abnormalities in Malaysian children with Down syndrome.
- To compare otological findings between children with Down syndrome and their healthy peers.
Main Methods:
- Otoscopic examination and impedance audiometry were performed on 30 children with Down syndrome and a control group.
- Data was collected at the ENT outpatient clinic of University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur.
Main Results:
- Children with Down syndrome exhibited significantly higher rates of impacted wax (44% vs. 14.4%), retracted eardrums (21% vs. 6.6%), and middle ear effusion (15% vs. 3.4%).
- Type B tympanograms (55% vs. 8.3%) and auditory canal stenosis (73.4% vs. 14.4%) were also more prevalent in the Down syndrome group.
Conclusions:
- Children with Down syndrome have a substantially higher incidence of otological disorders.
- These findings highlight the need for routine otological screening in children with Down syndrome.