Chronic suppurative otitis media and related complications at the University Clinic of Kinshasa

During the five-year period from 1998 to 2002, the ENT department of the University Clinic of Kinshasa treated 343 patients suffering from chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) and complications. Two hundred and seven patients had simple, 28 had cholesteatomatous form of CSOM, and 108 patients presented with intratemporal or intracranial complications. Roughly half of the patient group consisted of children younger than 10 years. The simple form of CSOM affects men and women equally, but the cholesteatomatous form was more prevalent among men. Otorrhoea and hearing loss were the major presenting symptoms. Hearing loss was moderate to severe in 2/3 and slight in 1/3 of the audiometrically tested ears. A mastoidectomy was performed on 55% of the patients. Roughly 1/3 of the patients presented with complications, the majority of which (69) were subperiostal abscesses. Complications other than subperiostal abscesses were associated with a high morbitidy and a few patients even died. Our data suggest that the prevalence of CSOM in the Kinshasa area is at least 4% and, in fact, has not declined over the last 20 years.