Tympanic membrane perforation among adults in West Africa

The knowledge of variations of the tympanic membrane (TM) perforations with the climatic changes in the West African subregion would help clinicians in its prevention and management.

To analyze the pattern of clinical presentations and associated features of TM perforation in adults in West Africa.

A prospective study.

Tertiary referral centre, University hospital.

Thirty-five (35) consecutive adults with TM perforations during a 1-year period had clinical evaluation of each TM using head mirror, video otoscopy, and micro-otoscopy.

Clinical presentations and associated features of TM perforations.

Thirty-five patients, 20 (57%) men and 15 (43%) women, with 42 perforated TMs were examined. Twenty-eight (80%) patients had unilateral perforations. Infection was responsible for 90.5% of cases, and trauma was responsible for the rest. Locations of perforations were central (29; 69.1%), anteroinferior (4; 9.5%), posteroinferior (4; 9.5%), anterosuperior (3; 7.1%), and posterosuperior (2; 4.8%). The sizes of the perforations ranged from 1.2 to 83.2%. Large sizes of 25% and more were found to occur in humid and wet seasons, and also, clinical presentations of otorrhea (65.6%), otalgia (51.5%), tinnitus (37.1%), and ear itching (34.4%) seemed to worsen.

Most TM perforations result from infection and are preventable via appropriate health education. Posterosuperior perforation is rare, and this is probably one of the factors making choleasteatoma uncommon in West Africa. Approximately 83.3% of TM perforations measure more than 25% in size and appear during the wet humid season of the year. These findings are important for both local and foreign otolaryngologists who may be practicing in this subregion of the world.