Otologic Disease Following Palatoplasty In International Cleft Palate Cohort

Study the prevalence of otologic disease in a pediatric post-palatoplasty population with no prior ear tube placement in resource-deprived countries and assess patient characteristics associated with these abnormal results.

Retrospective data review.

Ecuadorian and Chinese children identified during humanitarian cleft lip and palate repair trips with cleft palates undergoing palatoplasty from 2007 to 2010.

Tympanometry and otoacoustic emission (OAE) testing performed following palatoplasty. Patients' parents administered surveys regarding perceived hearing deficits.

Age, gender, Veau classification, follow-up time, laterality, and country of origin were evaluated for possible association with type B tympanogram, "Refer" Otoacoustic results, and presence of hearing difficulty as identified by a parent. Significant predictors were further evaluated with multivariate analysis.

The cohorts included 237 patients (129 Ecuadorian, 108 Chinese); mean age: 3.9 years; mean follow-up: 4.2 years. Thirty-nine percent scored type B, 38% failed OAE testing, and 8% of parents noted hearing deficits. The country of origin and a younger age were identified as predictive variables regarding type B tympanogram. Follow-up time, country of origin, and bilateral OAE "Refer" results all significantly predicted parental questionnaire results. Subsequent multivariable analysis further demonstrated effect modification between the 2 variables of age at palatoplasty and country of origin when predicting type B vs type A tympanometry.

Without otologic intervention, cleft palate children in resource-deprived settings suffer type B tympanometry and failed OAE results with similar to increased incidences to other studied cleft palate populations with otologic interventions available.