[Hearing in patients with chronic otitis media and cholesteatoma]

The authors submit their experience with the treatment of chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma and inform on therapeutic results recorded in 1979-1986. Chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma are encountered still relatively frequently. The authors detected it in adults in 40%. In children and adolescents under 20 years the percentage incidence is even higher, 53%. In a group of 38 operated patients the authors investigated the preoperative findings, the type of auditory disorder and its extent. They investigated also the selection of operations and reconstruction operations. The auditory gains were correlated with the percentage occlusion of the cochlear reserve, subjective data on altered hearing, disappearance of tinnitus and discharge from the ear. In children and adolescents a 22% auditory gain was recorded, in the age group of 21-40 years an auditory gain of 19.20%. In more advanced age groups a loss of 16.4%. Subjective improvement of hearing was reported by 41%, no change by 32%, deterioration by 27% of the patients. Constant tinnitus persisted after operation in 7.9% and a constant discharge in 4.5% of the operated patients. In one instance the authors observed a relapse of cholesteatoma in a patient operated by the so-called "closed method".